SkyMall Monday: Jeans Lounge Pants

by Mike Barish on

I’ve never understood people who relax in their homes while wearing jeans. First of all, denim is not all that comfortable. Second, most people don’t wash their jeans frequently, meaning that they’re wearing filthy clothes on their couches and beds. And third, in the summer, jeans just aren’t breathable and it’s expensive to run your air conditioner all the time. That’s why I strip down to my skivvies when I walk into SkyMall Monday headquarters. I like to air out while I’m in my personal space. That, of course, makes conducting meetings quite awkward. We need to maintain an aura of edginess and danger around here. Thankfully, SkyMall has a way to let us look casual while being comfortable and maintaining our innate hipness all the while. No one does cool quite like SkyMall, so you know that you’re going to look good when you slip on a pair of Jeans Lounge Pants.Of course, you have a choice of soft-textured pants that are made to look like jeans. We understand that you can go the Pajama Jeans route. Heck, after watching the commercial, who among us hasn’t placed an order for a dozen or so? But, Pajama Jeans look so pristine and formal. What if you like to keep things more “downtown chic? Ripped jeans let people know that you’re edgy and playful rather than stuffy and dull.

Think that jeans should be jeans and not secret pajamas? Believe that you could just buy a pair of comfortable pants made of something other than denim? Well, while you get lost in your walk-in closet, we’ll be reading the product description:

These lounge pants look like a ripped-up, much-beloved pair of denim jeans–but they’re actually super-soft cotton with amazingly realistic front-and-back printing and a much more forgiving stretch.

Sure, you own sweatpants, yoga pants, gym shorts, pajama pants, leggings and several other articles of clothing with a forgiving stretch for when you pillage a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, but those pants don’t make you look like you live in Seattle circa 1994.

You deserve to be comfortable while you look dangerous. You deserve Jeans Lounge Pants.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Sun Protection Wear from Patagonia

by Pam Mandel on

On our first sunny day in Seattle in far too long, I got sunburned. I know better. I fell asleep in the hammock and woke up baked to an itchy pink. I do this once a year, and then I come to my senses and dress appropriately.

I have a few very light weight long sleeved shirts that I picked up at the market in Siem Reap, Cambodia; all my shirts were too heavy for the oppressive humidity. I wanted to dress respectfully without wilting in the heat. Those market shirts are fine if you don’t mind looking like a hippie (which, really, I don’t.) But a little more style is nice.

Patagonia makes a line of don’t-get-sunburned clothing, it’s cute, light, and has 40 UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) sun protection built in to the fabric. I test drove their Sun Shelter Long Sleeved Shirt.

I put any new gear to the laundry test right away — since I can’t control what happens to my washing while I travel, I toss everything new into a standard wash and dry cycle. The shirt held its shape and size. I also check to see how long things take to dry, just in case I’m doing my washing in the hotel sink. This dries out overnight, as advertised. Laundry test? Passed.

I have the shirt in white; it also comes in a Cascade Stripe (blue gray) and Amaranth (pale pink). While I like the cut, the scoop neck collar, the big slash pockets on the side, the empire waist gathering in front, I look a little puritanical in it, I’m not built for this style. That’s too bad, because I also like the weight of the fabric; it’s really light and soft and yes, you can wear it over your existing sunburn without your skin getting more irritated.

Patagonia makes a Sun Shelter Dress that’s a similar shape to the shirt; the dress would make great beachwear over your swimsuit, or a casual dress to wear around the resort or pool. They’ve got a full line of sun protection clothing — if I’d had the good sense to put some on before I headed outside into the sunshine, I’d not be so pink today.

The shirt is $69, the dress is $79, directly from Patagonia.

A Nearly Perfect Mid-Layer: Patagonia’s Ultralight Down Shirt

by Pam Mandel on

My travels take me to places with unpredictable weather, alpine regions where the temperature drops 20 degrees when a cloud crosses the sun, or coastal zones where the wind comes of the water and it’s not as warm as I’d like it to be. I’m big on the standard platitude of dressing in layers for travel — but I’ve become increasingly exacting over what, exactly, those layers are.

Patagonia’s Ultralight Down Shirt is an almost perfect middle layer if you’re going to be someplace where the temps can drop or change. For starters, it’s super lightweight and packs down — in its own stuff bag — to about the size of a coffee cup. Or a grapefruit, a big one. You can find room for this in your bag. The shirt is warm, windproof, and water repellent — you will need a hard shell in heavy rain, but a little drizzle or heavy fog won’t soak you. It’s cute, with waffle-y stitching and detailing at the cuffs, collar, and waist. And it comes in good colors — fog (gray), cerise (a pink/red), black, and prickly pear (a springy green). Patagonia makes a down shirt for guys, too — they get a dark blue instead of the cherry pink, and the stitching is in a checkerboard pattern rather than the zigzag pattern on the women’s model.

It wears like a sweatshirt — it’s got a half zip so you pull it on over your head. The fit is good, the sizing seems fairly accurate (a big problem with a lot of outdoor wear, I’ve found). With a good base layer (I like merino wool) and a rain shell, you’re set for a very broad range of conditions, and you’re still packing very light.The only flaw worth mentioning is the lack of pockets. I’d have liked a kangaroo pocket in front or slash pockets in the side or… something, anything, a place to stash a few dollars, the car keys, or to tuck my hands when they’re a little cold. A pocket could do double duty as the stuff sack, as well.
This is an expensive piece of clothing — 250 USD — so it’s not for those prone to sticker shock. I have Downlight Sweater with a full zip down and pockets from First Ascent that retails for almost 100 USD less than Patagonia’s down shirt. It doesn’t have the style that the Patagonia piece has, but for space, the difference is negotiable. Given a choice between the two, I’d go with the full zip with pockets. If Patagonia’s version had pockets, it would be a much tougher call.

Regardless of what style you decide to go with, some kind of lightweight down layer is a useful addition to your travel wardrobe. Get one that works best for you.

Photo of the Day (11.21.10)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Ever seen your co-worker wearing a purple suit? Or an electric pink skirt? For whatever reasons, bright colors are not part of the fashion vocabulary of most Westerners. We tend to prefer the safety of muted colors like black and grey. Not so in Bhutan. Flickr user andreakw caught this colorful line-up of women in Bhutan celebrating at a local festival. They’re decked out in their kiras, a special style of fabric wrap worn for holidays. Check out the intricate patterns, bright colors and geometric shapes of the cloth. Equally interesting is the solitary woman with the child who stares directly at the camera, drawing the viewer into the scene.

Have any great photos from your recent travels? Why not share them with the world by adding them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Pack your alter ego – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Admit it! Deep inside you, there is a wild child — or perhaps a sophisticate? — waiting to get out. Pack those outfits you’ve been too afraid to wear. Remember, on vacation you run the show! You can be whomever you want!

Since no one knows you, there are no preconceived notions … except your own. Express those hidden personality traits you’re usually too shy to reveal.

That green eyeshadow doesn’t have to continue gathering dust, neither does the purple feathered fedora. Vacation is about enjoying yourself. Have fun and show off!

[Photo: Flickr | dreamglow pumpkincat210]