A non definitive interpretation of pants that are not jeans or trousers or....

Chinos cargo pants or capri pants (these could be a can of worms too!)

In Smittie's post yesterday I started pondering what the difference is between all the different types of pants out there. Here are the definitions I came up with, this time with added finds and pics.

Here is my guide to these items (relevant only to me)

Joggers (not a term I use). I think I would just call these Soft Pants) (Find 1). I wear these depending on fabrication to most places.

Track pants are the typical sports brand athletic pants - maybe with a zip at the bottom so you can take them off while wearing sportshoes. Casual only for sports or occasional errands. (Photo 1)

Sweatpants - made of fleecy fabric and worn for lounging at home or to the gym. I don't own any currently. (Photo 2)

Harem Pants - dressy pants, loose, cropped or full length, usually with some sort of dropped crotch, and fitting at the ankle. Made of knit or woven fabric. Can be dressy- casual.(Find 2)

Ponte pants - thick knit pants, often with pockets or a fake fly. I don't have any (Photo 3)

Leggings - to be worn as a layering item, made from knit or leather, can be dressy or casual (Find 3)

Yoga pants -have a long leg and a flare at the bottom, but are fitting at the top. Casual/exercise only. I only have one pair which are for heavy duty cleaning, gardening etc..(Find 4)

Running tights- basically leggings that look like you wear them to the gym or running (stripes, mesh, logos etc). To be worn exercising or to and from exercising. But I do go to the cafe or supermarket in them. (Find 5)

And there are a range of pieces that blur the line between them, the hybrids. I just added some Lululemon cropped black pants (made from a technical fabric) to my wardrobe, and I swear I could wear them with heels and a glam top out to dinner. I also have leggings made of ponte - very thick, no panty line can be seen - are these leggings or ponte pants? See my WIW here with soft pants (or are they harems) and soft pants (or are they something else indeed).

To me most of it is down to the fit, fabrication, quality, flattery-level, and what you wear them with. And I guess where you live.

We all put in place our rules about where and when we wear them and while there are many rules we all agree with, some will vary from NZ to the US, from New York to SoCal to Oklahoma City.

I am interested in whether my definitions ring true to you, or whether you see it all differently. There is no right and wrong:)

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7 years ago

Anonymous

I agree, although I clump yoga pants and running tights in together.( I wear running/workout tights to yoga .) I don't think I have ever used the term "joggers" in my life (sounds like something out of the Sears catalogue circa 1967) though....could be a regional thing

Sal

Veteran

Yes pretty blurry. I used to wear Yoga Pants all the time but now wear running tights to the gym, walking and to yoga. And for cleaning the house which is what I should be doing now

always trying

I have some like #1 wear to the gym, playing sports, etc. Many similar to #2, called joggers, some nice knit, and some more like sweat pants. The nicer looking ones I wear for dog training, agility classes, bike riding, etc. All these have to have pockets. Then I have some that have elastic ankles, some have cargo pockets, but they are woven fabrics. All casual and worn sometimes instead of jeans. some were labeled track pants and some called joggers. To me ponte pants are heavier knit, made like regular pants with zipper fly, front pockets, and can look dressy, and seen on the models wearing heels. These I wear in colder weather and with booties mostly. I do not own any of those tight fitting super stretchy kind strickley for the gym ane exercising. I do not wear them to the gym as I go o a small gym and do nothave to look like the young girls..No way wuld I eve wear harem pants. Have never seen anyone wearing them either. As for yoga pants I think theyare looser and have wider legs, but now I am seeing them on the u tube videos that look like the tight ones.

You are right there are hybrids, different names for al lthis stuff and it gets confusing. I do not like to see athletic wear outside the gym, but seeing it more and more.

I don't use the term "joggers" except on this board, to refer to silky or drapey jogging pants.
I use the term "jogging pants" synonymously with "sweatpants" or "sweats".
Like lisap, I lump running pants and yoga pants together, although I might be more inclined to call them running pants if they have a lot of colours and the brand is a general-purpose sport brand like Nike, Adidas or Reebok.
Also, yoga pants can be any length from under the knee to ankle.

I dont really like to wear yoga pants except in a gym setting. I'll wear track pants though.

I've noticed in NZ, at least in Wellington, that it is far, far, more gear and athletics-wear centered than where I live, and I think it's just part of your outdoorsy culture, and also probably because your population is younger.

Brooklyn

I think these are good definitions. As I mentioned in Smitties post, I don't really wear most of these. I have one pair of Ponte pants for winter wear and tights that are strictly for the gym (I actually don't like them much and have been wearing skorts more recently). I often ponder the difference between my Ponte pants and leggings. The Ponte pants are thick and have a fly and waistband (unlike most leggings) but once on they look a lot like thick leggings. And that takes you into the whole leggings as pants issue. I even have a pair of black jeans that read a lot like leggings on me. So I constantly stress over the length of my top when wearing them. Maybe I should try some joggers instead. Fewer "rules" to worry about!

rachylou

I'd probably call pic 1 sweats and track pants the nylon kind you wear onto the track but not to do stuff in for real. I also think running tights are super long leggings. But anyways, the defs work for me really.

I like yoga cut pants and dress them up as pants. Or I did. Don't have any right now. I wear joggers to walk the dog in winter. And I wear leggings and the knee length running tights to work in the bakery. That's basically the lady bread bakers uniform bottoms in our bakery. It's a workout, bread baking.

Helen11

So many choices! I only use the term joggers here on YLF, like Sally I'd usually call them a Soft Pant (with connotations of more comfort than style). Joggers are running shoes. Well, they used to be!

I am confused about leggings as leggings vs leggings as pants. Where is the line in the sand?

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