I chose 3 wide pants that are great to wear comfortably every day for the start of classes in 9. On college campuses these days, silhouettes that do not constrict the body and flutter generously around the hem with every step have naturally established themselves as everyday wear.
In the 1920s, British Oxford University students also widened the hems of their pants to nearly 1m to get around school regulations. Back then, when the school strictly banned entering lecture halls in comfortable athletic knickerbockers, they devised bag-like Oxford bags to wear over the knickerbockers to avoid the hassle of changing clothes. The rebellion of college students trying to sneak past the school's taboo became the origin of today's wide pants.
The wide-legged pants that Oxford students fluttered in lecture halls a century ago continue to be the most comfortable outfit on campus even today. For this semester's pants, shall we match the price to under KRW 100,000, or narrow it down toward neat slacks or comfortable sweat joggers?
↳ Under KRW 100,000
These are Centaur's SIDE LINE WIDE SWEATPANTS_NAVY, AMOMENTO's drawstring pocket pants, light beige and OVERSIZED SWEATPANTS (2COLORS), and INSILENCE's 스터드 스웨트 팬츠 BLACK. Sweatpants these days go beyond comfortable clothes worn at home, expanding their place as stylish going-out wear with contrasting side stripes or metal stud details.
In the 1980s music industry, it was the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. that brought street tracksuits onto the stage instead of flashy outfits. In 1986, through their song, they declared sportswear not as a symbol of rebellion or delinquency, but as proud street pride. After witnessing the enormous cultural fervor at the Madison Square Garden concert venue, a sports brand signed a major partnership with non-athletes for the first time in history, making track pants the quintessential streetwear.
The pants on our list also balance that everyday comfort and urban style. From lightweight nylon to substantial cotton, their textures are slightly different. Shall we gather cotton sweatpants, look at lightweight nylon pants, or lower the price further to around KRW 50,000?
↳ Cotton sweatpants
I chose 4 sweatpants woven from sturdy cotton. Centaur's SIDE LINE WIDE SWEATPANTS_NAVY and SIDE LINE WIDE SWEATPANTS_BLACK with standout contrasting side lines, AMOMENTO's generously falling OVERSIZED SWEATPANTS, and LOW CLASSIC's Lc Soft Sweatpants_Charcoal in a calm shade. With the boundary between indoors and outdoors blurred these days, eyes on the list naturally turn first toward sweats with comfortable rises and wide legs.
In the 1930s, sweat apparel was a headache for US college athletic teams because the length shrank vertically whenever it was washed. Champion introduced the reverse thinking of rotating the fabric grain 90 degrees to cut it horizontally, and brought out 'Reverse Weave' with vertical ribbed panels on the sides for mobility. Thanks to this sturdy weave patented in 1938, it endured harsh training and washing, establishing itself as the legendary icon of casual wear we wear today.
Shall we narrow it down to colors like gray or black, or look first at shapes with cinched hems like joggers or cutout details?
Final Selected Products
