How to Wear Joggers (For Men): The Ultimate Style Guide

Joggers are one of fast and modern fashions’ newest addition to men’s fashion. 

While some might find joggers to be distasteful and informal, there’s a lot of outfits you can pair with a jogger to make you look classy. From the sporty look to the jeans hybrid, joggers are more versatile than many give them credit for.

Now, if you’ve ever gone to a clothing store to pick out and try a pair of joggers, you might find that the sizes or general fit are too weird. Well, that’s what we’re here for. 

We want to show you just how versatile joggers can be, so that you can transform your wardrobe and open your eyes to a variety of new possibilities.

Here’s how to wear jogger pants for men.

The Common Misconception

First off, let’s address the common misconception that’s usually connected to joggers. There’s a common notion that joggers are seen as lazy, super informal, and basically sleeping clothes.

While that is true in some regards, it’s all about what you wear and pair with it that matters. Furthermore, as the jogger market and demand grew, so did the different innovative variations of the classic jogger.

Nowadays, you can get a pair of joggers that are tailored to look exactly like jeans, chinos, slacks, and so on. Not only that, but the fabric and color palette has greatly diversified which adds so much more variety to what was considered “just jogging pants.”

This misconception has turned very much into a popular thing to just hate on, which is never flattering. If you’re worried about looking homeless, don’t be, joggers are a premium item that can work wonders especially when worn with the right pair of clothes.

Why You Should Wear Joggers

Here’s why you should wear joggers: they’re comfortable. Yes, while that might seem like a shallow reason, it’s an extremely valid point to make especially if you’ve never tried putting on a pair of sweats before.

Joggers are made from stretchy, breathable, and light pieces of fabric that—for casual outdoor activities or errand – easily make them one of the most comfortable things you can wear. Not only that, if you can pull off the right outfit, joggers can be extremely rewarding and fashionable pieces of apparel.

A pair or two in your wardrobe would be the perfect way to get out of the house for common errands. Now, this doesn’t mean you can throw away your jeans and just look for a pair of joggers that look similar to denim. 

There are still a lot of perks and fashionability to wearing quality denim. We’ll go over all these details at the end. For now, let’s figure out how you can wear joggers.

How Do You Wear Joggers?

Putting on a pair of joggers can feel like an artist choice that you have to maneuver around. For one, if you wear something that’s too casual then you’ll look like you just crawled out of bed without any prep.

Wearing joggers is all about finding the right fit as well as pairing it with the right aesthetic. No one is going to think that you just came from your bedroom if you have a clean white pair of Nike’s, a good old white shirt, a fashionable denim jacket, and a black pair of joggers.

It’s all about finding the right clothes so you don’t look like you’re being complacent. Additionally, with the large variety of joggers available, there is now a multitude of aesthetics that you can pair with these cozy pants. 

With that being said, here are several ways to wear jogger pants along with some examples of what works and what doesn’t. 

Cozy Classic Greys

These are probably the pair of pants that cross your mind whenever you hear the word “joggers”. The grey variety is a classic and cozy pair of joggers that can easily make or break your outfit.

For one, it’s the pair that’s closely related to the lazy and informal vibe. With that in mind, you should definitely be particular about how you wear these pants. A great way to avoid coming off as a sloth is by paring your joggers with a great pair of shoes.

These can be rocked with Nike’s, Adidas, and even New Balance together with a plain shirt. Feel free to experiment but try to avoid shoes that have minimal designs. Now would be the perfect time to compliment a stylistic pair of New Balance 247s with a grey pair of joggers.

This is due to the fact that grey joggers generally look plain, which will emphasize the style of your shoe. Avoid wearing these with socks and sandals, unless you want to obviously come across as way too casual.

Sweater Season

A degree below the usual outfit, sweaters are also a great look with joggers. Again, be careful about looking too casual. For outfits like this, you might want to pick out a sweater that looks clean and new.

Worn out sweaters will furthermore establish the messy and unclean vibe, which adds to the informal aesthetic. Despite that, if you have a bright-colored sweater or one that looks stylish and premium, then you can absolutely get away with pairing a jogger and a sweater.

Hoodies are a big plus and work just as well with grey or black joggers. However, try to avoid mixing and matching hoodies or sweats with a smart-casual pair of joggers. This can look very tacky and misplaced, like a hoodie with a pair of trousers.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment with different designs. A striped, beige-tone, turtleneck, or knitted sweater can look really good and original with the jogger aesthetic. 

Sporty And Active

Quite ironically, the sporty and active vibe isn’t actually supposed to be an aesthetic. Joggers were made for—well—joggers. People who run outside to take a jog or run and, in some cases, workout at a gym. 

But fashion knows no bounds and now joggers are an aesthetic choice of wear that’s worn even if you don’t have plans to exercise. If you’re looking for an all-black outfit, here’s a weird kicker.

Wearing a pair of Nike shoes, Nike black joggers, and Nike black shirt actually looks pretty good. 

Granted, you should wear this if you have the body or physique of someone athletic, this outfit looks pretty cool and is famously worn by influencers and gymheads.

Another variety you can try is going for an all-Adidas outfit with the same general color palette. This can work for grey or black color schemes, but not as well with other colors.

Hip Hop And Rap

Who says joggers have to be fit and tight-looking? Definitely not the hip hop artists of today’s generation. If you’re into rap and hip hop as well as looking for something to wear that accentuates your interests, then here’s a great outfit for you.

Grab a pair of joggers that are a size too big and have it drop down below your waistline a little bit, enough to create folds around your calves and thighs. After that, get yourself an oversized shirt, a gold chain or two, and you’re pretty much set.

This type of street style doesn’t coincide with the typical lazy aesthetic that’s frowned upon. In fact, in most cases, this is generally a size or two bigger than the lazy and informal aesthetic. 

The hip hop and rap vibe are actually pleasant to the eyes but it’s much better worn by the younger individuals. Generally speaking, if you’re 25+ years old, it might be a good idea to hesitate before pursuing this aesthetic. 

Fit And Tapered Black

The color that looks good on every man: black. Fit and tapered black joggers are extremely stylish, especially for muscular individuals. 

The slimming color and trim of the joggers help accentuate the broadness of your shoulders and posture.

Pair a pair of black joggers together with a grey sweatshirt and you’ve got yourself an outfit that’s perfectly and clean for casual wear. 

If you’re the type to feel a bit bold, don’t be afraid to wear a black shirt with a pair of black joggers together with some white shoes.

Either way, black looks good in a lot of things and joggers are the perfect combination for a slimming profile. At best, this can pass off as a refined casual outfit, so don’t mistake this for something you can wear to semi-formal occasions.

That kind of outfit requires a little more detail and finesse, all of which we’ll go over in the next segment.

The Smart Casual Look

Now, we’ll be branching out to the variety of joggers that look much classier than the normal pair we usually see. The smart casual look is sported with a pair of jogger pants that are usually checkered or designed with a formal-looking fabric.

Grab yourself a pair of suede leather shoes, a snug shirt, a long grey coat, and finally a pair of well-fitted joggers. Don’t forget to put on a watch—preferably with a metal bracelet—to accent the smart casual look.

For this aesthetic, you’ll want to look for a pair of joggers that don’t have elastic bands at the ends of your pants. The stretchable fabric should be the only thing that’s “jogger” about this. You’ll find these kinds of pants mostly everywhere, like in H&M and Uniqlo.

The perks of having a pair of joggers that looks clean enough to pass off as a trouser is that it allows you to look stylish without trading over comfortability. This way, your joggers will still hug and be an overall smooth experience for your legs.

Jeans Hybrid

Yes—the mighty denim is also not immune from the innovation of jogger pants for men. With the great demand, supply has naturally produced a pair of joggers that look exactly like jeans and denim pants.

Now there are two main variations of this, authentic denim jeans with an elastic jogger band at the bottom or jogger fabric that’s textured like denim. For this guide, we’ll be focusing on the latter—joggers with denim-looking fabric.

While these pants don’t replace the texture and natural folds of real denim, it’s an excellent replacement that feels much more comfortable than regular denim. You can wear this jean-jogger hybrid together with your normal denim outfits.

A classic plain white shirt, a clean pair of white Adidas shoes, and then a jean-textured jogger will make you look clean and stylish. If you’re feeling a bit more confident today, you can also purchase a ripped version and rock those as well!

Surprisingly Semi-Formal

Joggers aren’t always made to look casual. In fact, the fabric that’s closely associated with joggers has been slowly used to make semi-formal pants like trousers and so on. With that said, obviously, there’s nothing that beats a real suit for formal events.

However, for semi-formal parties, this is a completely different case. Trouser joggers are comfortable, stretchy, and easy to wear. When talking about joggers you can never undermine just how comfortable these pants can be.

This is further emphasized in this point since trousers can be notoriously uncomfortable if they’re cut from a cheaper cloth. So, while proper trousers can be quite pricey, the comfortable and affordable alternative of trouser joggers is definitely appealing.

Open up your closet, get a blue long-sleeved polo, a pair of white shoes, and a black pair of trouser joggers. Make sure these joggers do not have any bands at the end, these bands are what makes joggers look informal.

Colors And Colors

Over the years, joggers have not only changed the texture of their fabric, they’ve even expanded on the color schemes available. Now, you can easily see someone wear an all-violet combination—or in another color—that just looks clean and well-picked.

You can do this too with colors that you can freely experiment on. Ideally, the best way to do this would be to wear the same color all throughout. A red or green outfit looks great with this, especially if you have a darker skin color.

Additionally, you can also mix and match, even going for the classic white tee, white shoes, and a surprising green pair of joggers. Point is thatjoggers are much more versatile in color than any other pair of pants you can own.

All of this without looking extremely out of place like an anomaly. 

Shoes to Wear

If there’s one mistake a lot of men make when it comes to wearing joggers, it’s putting them on with the wrong pair of shoes.

Just like with any outfit, it’s a cardinal sin to wear a pair of shoes that doesn’t match whatever else you’re wearing. To avoid the fashion faux paux, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know when it comes to shoes that go well with joggers.

Loafers 

Loafers can seem like the height of fashion if you can pull them off, and believe it or not, they can be a great match for joggers.

These stylish slip-on shoes look like they were made to be worn with joggers, due to their comfortable interior and sleek exterior. They can refine your style without overdoing it, which is what makes them a perfect shoe style to accompany a pair of joggers.

Boat Shoes

Boat shoes are a lot like loafers, except they’re more dress shoe than casual shoe and they have laces.

If you want to dress up your joggers without foregoing the laces, then boat shoes can be an ideal choice. 

Dress Shoes

Generally speaking, it’s a bad idea to pair joggers with formal dress shoes.

That being said, you can pull it off.

Make sure your color palette is on point if you’re brave enough to give this look a go, since the colors can make or break a look.

Without Socks

Given that you’ve already decided to go fairly casual with joggers, why not go all the way and wear your shoes without socks?

The no-socks look isn’t just reserved for chilled days at the beach with sandals. 

In fact, you can leave the socks in your drawer with many types of shoes including boat shoes and loafers.

Things To Avoid

It’s no secret that joggers can easily make or break your outfit. While this is largely due to the common misconception that joggers are considered lazy apparel, it’s nobody’s fault that this is the case.

Don’t Try Too Hard

At the end of the day, joggers are still joggers. They won’t replace proper denim jeans nor real trousers for formal events. Don’t try too hard to look flamboyant and amazing in them. 

Joggers typically look much better on an individual who isn’t trying too hard but has a stylish outfit to make it look clean and well-put-together. Play safe with clothes that are comfortable to you, but don’t sacrifice quality by putting on a worn-out shirt and some flip-flops. 

Slippers And Sandals

While we understand that you don’t always have the luxury of dressing up, you should never try to compromise your standards. Dressing up doesn’t mean looking good for other people. 

More often than not, it usually means that despite all the noise and mess going on in your life, you can still put on a pair of shoes. Try to look good and feel good. Your outfit helps influence your physiology a lot, which helps improve your mood. 

With that said, try to avoid wearing slippers and sandals together with a pair of joggers. Denim and sandals? Maybe. Joggers and sandals? Nope.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wearing Joggers

What should guys wear with joggers?

A simple shirt, clean pair of shoes, and a comfortable—but high-quality—pair of joggers is the most basic outfit you can wear with joggers. 

These types of pants, joggers, are perfect for casual occasions, so look your best but don’t overdo it.

How do you wear joggers for work?

For this case, find a pair of joggers that closely resembles trousers. There are a lot of clothing brands out there that sell these trouser-jogger-type pants. 

As a tip, avoid the ones that have elastic bands at the end. Look for a pair with seams that help sell it as a pair of trousers.

A Final Word From The Trending Man

Joggers are stylish and comfortable clothes that men should be comfortably able to use without feeling judged. When wearing a pair of joggers, always try to look clean and presentable with a plain shirt or a pair of nice shoes.