pretty lounge wear

As a college student, I spend a decent portion of my night in lounge wear. After being dressed up from 8am to 8pm, I look forward to coming back to my dorm and changing into something comfortable while I'm doing homework and relaxing before bed time. I got to thinking, though, that my current outfit is pretty drab and unstylish (jersey gym shorts and an oversize t-shirt). There is absolutely no excuse or good reason to look like a disaster just because you're not "out" - especially in dorms where everyone may see you walking down the hall to the lounge or the restroom.

Where do you find pretty things to wear while you're relaxing? The first place I thought of was Old Navy. They usually have lots of colorful things, and are usually much less expensive than things you'd find at places like Victoria's Secret (another good place for lounge wear, although, as I just mentioned, usually out of my budget). After all, you want to look decent, but if you're going to have to spend an arm and a leg to relax, you may as well buy a new daytime outfit instead.

Here are my suggestions to the dowdy alternatives:

T-Shirts:
Instead of wearing an oversized, boxy tshirt from the bookstore that you sweat in at the gym, try one of these cute tops. Just because they're a little more detailed than a plain tshirt doesn't mean you can't wear them to lounge around in. Remember to separate your lounge tops from  your daily wear tops - you don't HAVE to wear these out in public just because they're marketed as normal wear tops. (Although these sure beat wearing workout wear to class if you had to get ready in 0.374 seconds.)

pink pleated top, $17.50
purple drop waist top, $17.50
yellow boat neck top, $10.00
blue striped henley, $8.99
gray and pink striped scoopneck, $14.50
green ruffled scoopneck, $12.50

Hoodies/Sweatshirts
Is that baggy, ratty old sweatshirt really doing good things for your figure? I doubt it. Aim for something with feminine details, or waist defining abilities. Stay away from solid, big kangaroo pouches that will add bulk (if you do get a sweatshirt with a pouch, aim for a slim one, or one that is split up by a zipper), or high crew necks without zippers that will give you a uni-boob. Try these for a change:

ruffled hoodie, $19.99
faux-fur collar hoodie, $19.99
shawl collared cardigan, $13.99

Sweatpants/Yoga Pants
I swear, the lounge uniform of college women is the black yoga pant, or black leggings. They are NOT cut to flatter everyone, and should NOT be worn as day to day pants. Why not try a colorful alternative, or a different color neutral? The trick with colorful pants is to avoid ones that look like PJ's. Also, try and avoid shrink-wrap leggings, or super baggy cuts. I'd also try and avoid fleece, unless you vacuum regularly, as it will act as a lint roller to whatever dust/fuzz is lying around your dorm. You could also try some super-casual twill pants, or light weight cords if you're looking for something a bit less relaxed.

green drawstring fleece pants, $10.99
purple striped foldover pants, $16.50
pink cotton drawstring pants, $7.99-$16.50
gray lightweight cord cargos, $12.99
navy jersey lined cargos, $19.99

I just love that for under $50.00, you can go into Old Navy and get a complete (and reasonably fashionable) lounge wear set!