While the holidays have always been about cozying up at home with the people who give you the warm fuzzies, 2020 has taken that hardwired desire to hunker down and hibernate to the next level.
That’s why this season, Bare Necessities has prioritized your across-the-board call for comfort. From head-to-toe toasty pajamas to happy-go-comfy loungewear sets, an athletic aesthetic that goes beyond the gym to plush robes and slippers that pass for room service these days, we’ve rounded up everything you really want to be wearing.
The best part: You don’t have to forsake fashion to find the comfort you crave.
GUEST-READY LOUNGEWEAR
The invention of loungewear has been a downright revelation. This category perfectly fills in the space between “real” daytime clothes and flat-out pajamas, which has definitely grown to be a bigger slice of life’s pie in 2020. Working from home the past few months, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to answer the door, and I’m grateful every single time not to be in something sloppy and embarrassing or unintentionally too revealing.
Take it from me, someone who discovered she owned no casual clothes before March: You can build an entire wardrobe you actually love wearing out of supremely comfy, put-together sets and separates from PJ Harlow, Barefoot Dreams, Free People, Honeydew Intimates and so many more brands that have made a name for themselves in this sphere.
ALL-DAY ACTIVEWEAR
Not unlike how sweats have grown up and evolved into loungewear, activewear has started showing off its softer side in the form of athleisure of late. Workout clothes are no longer uncoordinated, baggy or unattractive; instead, they’re matching, stylish looks.
Activewear has become the de facto daytime uniform for a lot of us, whether we’re squeezing in a run or running to cover school pick-up. Leggings and joggers have all but taken the place of jeans and pants, while good-looking hoodies and tank tops have got you comfortably covered above the waist. And I’m certainly not going to say I’ve never gone from barre to bed in my favorite Onzie sweatshirt and leggings because we tell it like it is on Bare it All.
HOLIDAY PAJAMAS
Every day that it gets colder and darker earlier is a day I wonder why I don’t live closer to the equator. Until I square that circle, I take solace in pajama sets that keep me warm and make me smile. Despite their hilarous novelty prints, they manage to make me feel halfway like an adult, what with their button-front shirts, cuffs, piping and notched collars.
Experience has shown that PJ Salvage is in a league all its own—every year, their witty flannel designs just get better and better. This season, you can don a zebra print, an animal print combined with coffee (two favorites rolled into one) or, for an expressly holiday vibe, gingerbread cookies, ski slopes and Hanukkah puppies. Another longtime favorite of mine that’s new to Bare Necessities is Bedhead, with clever motifs like brunch foods and the Parisian night sky rendered in really supple stretch cotton that washes like a dream.
THE BEST NEW ROBES AND SLIPPERS
I’m one of those people who is cold ten months out of the year. My husband and kid both went to sleep last night wearing T-shirts and shorts while I tucked myself in under flannel jammies and my Natori fleece bathrobe. (Also a throw blanket over the comforter, but who’s counting?) Which is all a long way of saying that I put a lot of stock in the right robe because I wear it more than most to keep that warm-hug feeling going strong all fall and winter. I have learned that I’m looking for a snuggly, nubby texture that feels great to the touch but still breathes. Some of our best bets are by the snuggle experts at Ugg and Barefoot Dreams, as well as fashion-minded sleep brands like Donna Karan, Kate Spade and PJ Salvage. (And this is always the time of year when I put it out into the universe that, should anyone feel I’ve been exceptionally nice, Arlotta’s cashmere robe would be most welcome.)
On the footwear front, fall/winter is never not about UGG, and there’s so much trendiness going on within the brand to keep it leading-edge. To round out your at-home slipper wardrobe, there are also Ralph Lauren scuffs, Hue critter slippers and fluffy animal prints by Barefoot Dreams. Real shoes need not apply anymore.
COMFORT BRAS
Stretchy, wire-free bras let you go about your business without working too hard to find your just-right size. They also let you pick up a package or run through the grocery store wearing absolutely whatever and still not flash anybody your headlights.
Personally, I’m loyal to the sleek-under-everything Chantelle Soft Stretch Bralette because the cookies are sewns into the cups, so they don’t shift around or come out in the wash.
For more of a traditional bra, we’re all loving the Wacoal Back Appeal Wire-Free Bra, which still has everything you need for support, even without the underwire. Honestly, at this point, just about every bra brand you love has come out with its own version, so find yours, throw it on and do your thing this season without even once being annoyed by your bra.
