Sweatpant Jeans: Because Regular Denim Is Too Fancy

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Because putting on real pants has somehow become too much of a hassle (really, everyone?), denim manufacturers are easing shoppers into "jogger" styles (aka sweatpants). According to industry experts, the growing popularity of activewear has been putting a serious hurt on traditional jean sales. To get back in the game, big-name brands like Rag & Bone, Seven for All Mankind, and Baldwin Denim are turning to softer, stretchier fabrics.

"As a country, we've gotten so casual that we can wear one step above pajamas out in public now," says chief industry analyst Marshal Cohen. "Denim is now considered dressy, which is one reason that the industry has lost its momentum—the consumer is gravitating toward more loose and comfortable fits." So there you have it. The future is an elastic waist-filled one. Way to go, America. —Lauren Berger
· Denim Brands Getting Casual [WWD]
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· Pajamas at Work: Should Comfort Really Be King? [Racked]