Sandhya Garg — Categories Decoded
Loungewear vs Athleisure:
What's the Difference?
Plus Sleepwear · How to Wear It Outside · 10 Designer Pieces · XS–3XL
Quick Answer
Loungewear is designed for rest. Athleisure is designed for movement. Loungewear is comfortable clothing meant primarily for being at home — kimonos, kaftans, soft trousers, easy tops — that's polished enough to answer the door or run an errand in. Athleisure is activewear-derived clothing built to be worn outside the gym: leggings, technical fabrics, performance details. Both are separate again from sleepwear, which is made for sleeping in and isn't intended to be seen. The simplest test: could you comfortably meet a friend for coffee in it without feeling underdressed? If yes, it's loungewear or athleisure. If no, it's sleepwear.
These three categories get used interchangeably and they genuinely aren't the same thing — they're made from different fabrics, cut to different fits, and designed with different places in mind. Knowing which is which saves money, because buying sleepwear expecting loungewear performance is how people end up with a drawer of things they never wear out of the house.
As a Project Runway designer, my own loungewear collection sits firmly in one of these camps and not the others — and I'll be straight about which, and why, below.
In This Guide
Loungewear vs Athleisure vs Sleepwear
| Loungewear | Athleisure | Sleepwear | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Resting, at home | Moving, on the go | Sleeping |
| Fabric | Silk, cotton, modal, linen | Technical knits, spandex blends | Lightest cotton, satin |
| Fit | Relaxed but considered | Body-following, stretch | Loosest of the three |
| Wear outside? | Yes, comfortably | Yes — that's the point | No |
| Typical pieces | Kimonos, kaftans, soft trousers, easy tops | Leggings, sports bras, technical jackets | Pyjamas, nightdresses, robes |
| Buy it for | Comfort that still looks like an outfit | Function that also looks good | Sleeping well |
One clarification worth making, because it's a common muddle: loungewear is not pyjamas you've decided to be brave about. It's a separate category, cut and finished to be seen in.
What Is Loungewear?
Loungewear is casual clothing designed primarily for being at home, but finished well enough to be worn out of it. That's the whole definition, and the second half is what separates it from sleepwear. A loungewear piece should survive an unexpected doorbell, a school pickup, or a coffee run without you needing to change.
The category is broader than the beige-and-grey uniform the internet suggests. Silk kimonos, printed kaftans, soft wide-leg trousers, easy tops with real necklines — all loungewear. Colour and print belong here as much as neutrals do; there is no rule that says relaxing has to be done in oatmeal.
The kimono or kaftan
The single most useful loungewear piece there is. Throw it over anything and the outfit is finished. Silk or light cotton, and it doubles as a beach cover-up and a travel layer.
Soft trousers with structure
Joggers or wide-leg lounge trousers in a fabric with some body to it. If they hold a shape when you stand up, they'll work outside the house.
A top with a neckline
The detail that does the most work. A considered neckline — boat, scoop, baby-doll — is what makes a comfortable top read as deliberate rather than default.
What Is Athleisure?
Athleisure is activewear designed to be worn beyond the activity — leggings, technical knits, sports-derived silhouettes styled for daily life rather than the gym. The word is a portmanteau of athletic and leisure, and it describes a genuine shift: clothes engineered for performance became clothes people wanted to wear all day.
Here's the part that surprises people. According to GWI's 2026 consumer research, only 28% of athleisure wearers say performance-enhancing features are a top priority — style, comfort and quality win out instead. Most people buying athleisure aren't buying it to exercise in. The same research found athleisure is emphatically not a young person's category either: Gen X are the second most likely group to wear it weekly.
“Not all athleisure wearers are athletes. Just 28% say performance-enhancing features are a top priority. Style, comfort, and quality win out.”
— GWI, athleisure trends 2026
Where This Collection Sits — Honestly
We make loungewear, not athleisure. There are no technical fabrics here, no moisture-wicking, no compression — nothing in this collection is engineered for a workout, and I'd rather say so than imply otherwise. What we do make is silk kimonos, printed kaftans, cotton joggers and easy tops, in the colours and original prints the rest of the label is built on. If you want leggings for a spin class, we're the wrong shop. If you want something comfortable enough to work from home in that you'd also happily wear to lunch, that's exactly what this is.
How to Wear Loungewear Outside the House
The difference between loungewear that reads as an outfit and loungewear that reads as pyjamas is almost entirely styling. Four things do nearly all of it:
- Add one structured layer. A denim jacket, a printed kimono, or a tailored jacket over soft separates instantly shifts the register.
- Choose the shoe deliberately. Clean sneakers, flat sandals or a low mule — anything except the shoes you'd wear to take the bins out.
- Wear one real piece of jewellery. A single necklace or a pair of earrings signals intention more effectively than anything else on this list.
- Carry a proper bag. Not the tote that lives by the door. This is the detail most people skip and it's the one that completes the look.
The other reliable trick: build a set. Two pieces in the same colour family read as an intentional outfit in a way that a mismatched top and bottom never quite manage, however nice each piece is on its own.
The Loungewear Edit · Artisanal · XS to 3XL
Comfortable. Never Beige.
Ten pieces in silk, cotton and original print — every one comfortable enough to stay home in and finished enough to leave the house in.
The Separates — Build a Set
Kimonos & Kaftans — The Throw-On Layer
Sizes XS · S · M · L · XL · XXL and one-size options · Custom sizing available · Free US shipping over $250
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between loungewear and athleisure?
Loungewear is designed for resting at home in soft natural fabrics like silk, cotton and modal, cut relaxed but finished well enough to wear out. Athleisure is activewear-derived clothing in technical, stretchy fabrics designed for movement and worn beyond the gym. Loungewear prioritises comfort at rest; athleisure prioritises comfort in motion.
Is loungewear the same as pyjamas?
No. Sleepwear is made for sleeping and isn't intended to be seen outside the house. Loungewear is made to be worn while awake and at home, and is finished so it can be worn out for errands, coffee or a school run without changing. The fabrics, fit and finishing all differ.
Can you wear loungewear outside?
Yes — that's a large part of the point. Add one structured layer, a deliberate shoe, one real piece of jewellery and a proper bag, and a loungewear set reads as an intentional outfit rather than something you forgot to change out of.
What fabrics are best for loungewear?
Natural and semi-natural fibres: silk, cotton, linen, modal and bamboo blends. They breathe, they hold their shape, and they read as considered rather than sporty. Technical synthetics belong in athleisure, where the moisture-wicking actually earns its place.
Does Sandhya Garg sell athleisure or activewear?
No. This is a loungewear collection, not activewear — silk kimonos, printed kaftans, cotton joggers and easy tops, with no technical or performance fabrics. It's designed for comfort at home and out of it, not for workouts.
How do I care for silk and printed loungewear?
Silk kimonos and hand-finished pieces take gentle hand washing or dry cleaning; printed cottons handle a cool, gentle machine wash inside out to protect the print. Full instructions are in our garment care guide.
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About the Writer
Sandhya Garg is a Project Runway Season 13 designer who won two challenges on the show and presented her collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. She studied womenswear at London College of Fashion and worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London, and Alice Temperley. Her Los Angeles label creates limited-edition artisanal dresses, resort wear and loungewear — featured in Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue online — in sizes XS–3XL with custom sizing available.
Project Runway · Vogue · Marie Claire · XS–3XL
Comfortable enough to stay in. Good enough to go out.
Sandhya Garg is a Los Angeles boutique creating limited-edition loungewear, kimonos and kaftans in silk, cotton and original prints. Sizes XS–3XL, custom sizing available.
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