Patterned Pants

I love the comfort factor of pajama pants, but wouldn’t be caught dead in them outside the house. That’s why I love the loungewear as outerwear trend that popped up last summer.

Jacket: Lulu’s
Pants: Bébénoir
Tank: Swapped
Shoes: Beyond Skin
Necklace: Gifted

These are a soft, relaxed-fit pant, reminiscent of harem pants or lounge pants. With slippers and a smoking jacket, I’d rival Hugh Heffner for stylish boudoir clothes. But with ballet flats and an unstructured jacket, these are surprisingly appropriate for every day. I wore them to work and out to dinner.

To be clear, these are “outside pants.” I bought them at Bébénoir when I have in New York last summer. I was lucky to have this incredible gem of a boutique just around the corner of my Harlem condo, where I lived (and pretended to be a local) for 10 days.

I’d read about Bébénoir in a fashion magazine the week before I flew to NYC. I wanted to visit, but Harlem is a big place. I had no idea if it would be anywhere near my apartment. Imagine my luck when my taxi passed the shop, turned the corner, and dropped me off at my temporary digs.

I must have shopped there every other day. I took my parents along too, and my mom loved their clothes (in fact, she bought a pair too, which you can see in her Harlem blog post). Bébénoir has a wonderful–and affordable–selection of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories (and super friendly staff).

My Beyond Skin flats work really well with these pants. I got these as part of a Kickstarter. I donated toward their new line of shoes and received these. All vegan, ethically sourced, sweatshop-free, fair labor–and cute! If you haven’t checked out their site, do it now! I love their new spring line.