One of the small comforts I’ve been clinging to for the past few weeks of social distancing has been getting dressed to stay in—which helps me feel semi-normal in a very abnormal situation (and less like one day is bleeding into the next). Lightweight cotton pajamas and cropped tops make me feel a little spring-ier despite being indoors, and fleecy sweatshirts feel like a warm hug in these uncertain times, but my favorite piece of “indoor clothing” is one that none of my virtual colleagues or friends would know about except me.
I first encountered the California-based athleisure brand Vuori as a tester in SELF’s Fitness Awards, when the brand’s award-winning Elevation Performance leggings won me over and became the most well-loved leggings in my entire rotation. Yes, okay, I will out myself as the anonymous reviewer who gushed about the “smooth, soft, stretchy, and supportive” fabric and “luxe feel.” Apparently the brand has a thing for silky fabrics, and when Vuori offered to let me try out more of its apparel, I stumbled upon the softest pair of lounge pants I’ve ever worn.
These Vuori performance joggers are technically a mixture of polyester and spandex, but I’m convinced that “angel kisses” should be somewhere in the fine print. Read any of the 60 customer reviews on the REI website and you’ll find that lots of people are on the same page. Superlatives like “softest pants ever” get thrown around a lot, and comparisons to clouds and pajamas do too. Several months (and wash cycles) haven’t changed a thing. The joggers have gotten no less soft—or peppered with fluff and fuzz, as these buttery fabrics often do.
