issue #97: playground pants

Partaking in playground activities can be simultaneously joyful and mind numbing. It’s at once quite pleasant to be provided the opportunity (read: forced) to be outside with your little one, enjoying outdoor space instead of binge watching, while at the same time…it’s extremely dull. And look, am I happy to push her on the swing for 45 minutes knowing it brings her joy? Sure. Am I also wanting to be doing many other things - cleaning, organizing, shopping, writing, eating, drinking, resting, napping, exercising, spacing out - during those 45 minutes? Yep. Learning to be present and just fully embrace the playground time has been a challenge, but with the playground comes that ever stylish parade of Brooklyn moms I’ve written about a couple of times before (here, and here, if you’re curious).

Now, let’s not call it judging. Because I’m definitely not judging. I’m simply observing (oftentimes wondering silently how I can recreate their stellar fits from my own closet). And one thing I’ve been observing a lot of this early summer are track pants. Like gingham, once you start, you can’t stop seeing it. Unlike gingham, all of the track pants I’m spotting out in the wild are cool af, and actually seem like something I, too, can fit into my wardrobe and life.

But of course it’s not just track pants that have caught my attention, it’s all of the pants. Somehow, over the course of the spring, and as this weather has (mostly, finally) shifted to summer days, the pants on these moms have gotten good. Gone are the days of a simple barrel jean, instead we seem to be in a golden age of truly excellent Playground Pants (TM).

What makes a Playground Pant (TM) you might ask? Simple. Comfortable, breathable, washable, loose. That’s it. Something you can move around in. Something you can get wet without ruining as you chase your little one around the splash pad. Something you can get ice cream smeared all over and wash out. Something you can climb the ladder and slide down the slide and run through the park in. Really, anything counts, but below are a few of my favorites.

The Track Pant

I’ll be honest, the idea for this post was sparked in part by a lively conversation in my mom chat about a stylish woman on the playground wearing track pants, a crisp poplin button up, and loafers. They speculated that she was there for a birthday party, otherwise a crisp white shirt would be impractical. They could be right, although I’ve been known to arrive at the playground in my workhorse Gap poplin shirt before, so who knows. Envisioning the look in my mind I was nothing short of inspired, and then, of course, the next time I went to the park I couldn’t stop seeing track pants. They also, somehow, have continued to fill my Instagram feed, and the Substack set seems to be really into them too. That all said, a quick search for “track pants” unleashed a stunning number of really good options, which is exciting! Personally, I’d wear them with a fitted tank and an open button up, and probably a pair of slides, or if I’m walking a lot, a sporty trainer.

adidas firebird track pants, reformation track pants, a&f track pants, donni waffle track pants, free people nylon track pants

The Poplin Pant

I am a huge fan of a poplin pant, just as I am a huge fan of a poplin shirt. Linen? No thanks. I’ll rock poplin all day. These are fun in bright colors, as cotton tends to hold color pretty well. And of course, being cotton, they are also pretty durable and easy to wash. Plus, I find them still light enough in weight to not be sweating like crazy as you’re running around. I’m wearing these with a cropped t shirt, baseball cap, and trainers.

banana republic poplin pant, mango paperbag poplin pant, banana republic wide leg poplin pant, leset kyoto pant, abercrombie barrel poplin pant

The Washable Silk Pant

Admittedly, these are trickier. I love the look as it crosses my feed, but as someone that has historically preferred structured pants, it would take a pretty big leap of faith for me to try to pull these off. That’s not to say you guys can’t, though, because I’ve seen some of you in them (cough

Sogole Kane

cough) and you look amazing. The key here, for me, though is that they need to be washable. Luckily, technology has allowed for this of late, and although nothing will beat the feeling of a pure, luxe silk, you (I) have got to be able to run them through the wash if you’re planning to wear them on summer weekends with a kid. I’d wear these with a fitted tee or tank and a button up around the waist to add a little texture. Possibly with flat fisherman sandals or flip flops (although the thought of actually wearing flip flops in NYC is a tad unappealing).

j crew, madewell, negative, j crew, cuyana

The Pajama Pant

It’s my dream to be able to pull this off in a way that feels like I’m not actually wearing pajamas. Of course, I do think that anything goes these days, and I see someone wandering around the city in true pajamas at least once a day. So you know what, on second thought, fuck it. Let them look like pajamas and own that comfort - you deserve it. Pair with a crisp button up, a sweater around your waist, and decent to nice sandals/loafers.

doen, j crew, comme si, alex mill, j crew

The Denim Pant

One could, of course, stick to a classic jean here, but let me make the argument that we are living in a great time to lean into soft denim and elastic waist bands and therefore should take advantage!! A big boyfriend or exaggerated barrel can do the trick here too, though, as long as they leave you with enough room for activities. Wearing with: Converse and a t shirt, as simple as it gets, but cooler than the West Village gal. Maybe a men’s sweatshirt around the waist for chilly evenings.

jenni kayne (as a side note, this styling is baffling to me), alex mill, j crew, cos

The Short

You may be aware that I am not much of a shorts person, but I will admit they have a time and place and given that I wear my Madewell long shorts every day that it’s warm (so like, three days so far), I do seem to be coming around, if I do say so myself. Wearing with: a chunky sneaker or sandal and an oversized button up or sweatshirt.

cos, donni, varley, gap factory, adidas, donni

How I’m wearing it

If you’ve been here a while you know that I generally stick to a really simple (arguably boring) style - I don’t accessorize a ton, I like a comfortable shoe, and a white tee is my holy grail. Especially in the summer. No time (nor energy) to get all fussy about it, which is why it’s great that a good Playground Pant has a personality of it’s own, and there’s not really a need to go wild with anything else.

look 1: crisp white button up, track pants, and loafers, like the stylish mom at the park; look 2: leset kyoto pants with a cropped button up, sweater for around the waist and comfy trainers; look 3: a look I have been seeing *everywhere* - track shorts, basic tank, oversized blue stripe button down, paired with fishermans; look 4: pull on denim, high top converse, sweat t-shirt, everyone’s favorite books are magic cap; look 5: silky pants, fitted t shirt, oversized and lightweight merino sweater for around the waist, jelly sandals

to shop the full edit and scout a few bonus pants, click here.

happy playground-ing!

xx

jen