It's Time to Put On Your Party Pants

These outgoing pull-on styles will make it easier.

I remember when Zoom happy hours were thrilling. It was last spring, when pants were optional, a bra was totally out of the question and my jeans sat in piles, completely ignored. Wearing loungewear everyday was comforting at a time that felt anything but, fleece separates acting almost as individual, wearable blankets.

A year later, reintroducing pants and fitted clothes into my wardrobe has felt like a huge step, but one that signaled a brighter, more certain future. (Plus, I convinced myself that buying, say, vintage party dresses would manifest the return of social gatherings — TBD.) It’s been a gradual process, though, one that has been significantly eased by a single garment that sits somewhere between pajamas and fun daywear yet remains party-approved: the pull-on pant.

The easy, no-zip style can be worn in or out of the home (and in some cases in or out of bed). It boasts the effortlessness and coziness of early pandemic dressing, as well as the optimism of a vaccinated future. They come dressed in joyful, vibrant colors and prints — think of them as more extroverted versions of your old sweatpant pals. Ahead, shop the most outgoing pull-on pants that will help you re-acclimate to getting dressed.