Girls, remember how attached we were to our velour Juicy sweatpants? We wore them everywhere, often with a color coordinating velour jacket. The grocery store, Starbucks, Blockbuster… Juicy tracksuit. They were just so darn comfortable. But I believe in gender equality, and I believe that men should have something just as comfy as our velour tracksuits, except maybe a little easier on the eyes. Okay, a lot easier on the eyes.
Enter Lounge County, the new loungewear brand offering menfolk the luxury of comfy threads that don’t sacrifice style. Imagine a waffle weave so wonderfully tailored, you wouldn’t be alarmed (or embarrassed) to see a gentleman caller showing up to take you to dinner and a movie in them. But a man in sweats, off the couch?! It’s not the easiest concept to grasp. So I caught up with the men behind the comfy collection, Texas natives Zach Redington and Andy Archer, to learn more about their new venture, the future of Lounge County, and whether or not the logo is indeed an octopus. (Spoiler alert: It is not. But close!)
Where did the idea for Lounge County originate?
Zach and his wife visited Andy and his wife in Europe. We were all lounging around one Saturday morning after a night out. We came to the realization that there are a lot of lounging options for women but there aren’t great lounging options for men. Pajama pants and sweats are both comfortable but look ridiculous. Robes look kind of cool but are not at all appropriate for socializing. So we started brainstorming about what the ultimate lounging option for men would look like. We took all the features that we liked – waffle weave fabric / texture from a great robe, comfort of sweats, a better fitting pant – and the Robie was born!
For those who have never had the joy of rocking Robies, how would you explain the difference between Lounge County pants and regular old sweatpants?
3 things separate Lounge County pants from regular old sweatpants:
- Fabric – We put so much time into finding fabrics that look and feel great and are unique. It took us almost a year to find the perfect waffle weave fabric that we use on the Robie.
- Fit – It took us many samples to finally settle on the Everyman Fit. We think it finds the perfect balance between comfort and style. We wanted something that most guys would be happy with and that wasn’t too baggy (like most pajama pants / old sweatpants) nor too fashion forward (like skinny jeans or joggers).
- Focus – Lounge County only makes versatile clothes for relaxation. You won’t find polos or chinos. We want to help people relax and look good.
What’s up with the logo? Is it an octopus? Is he wearing a sweatband? I need to know more.
First off, we love your interest in the logo. We have heard some very interesting guesses but you almost nailed it. He is a jellyfish named Gary. We chose a jellyfish to be the mascot of Lounge County because jellyfish are the Robies of the animal kingdom. They are the ultimate go-with-the-flow animal and are known for cruising the ocean while looking good. As for the headband… yes, he is wearing one. It keeps the water out of his eyes.
Personally, I see waffle and immediately think comfort. What is it about a good waffle weave that makes people fall in love?
Great question! Fall in love with waffle or fall in love with with each other? Because we believe the incredible fabric does both. There is just something about the way waffle looks and feels that immediately helps people relax. We searched extensively for a great waffle lounge pant and couldn’t find one anywhere. I think that gave us the confidence to push forward with Lounge County. We wanted to give the world an opportunity to spend more time in waffle.
Where is your favorite non-couch-related place to wear your robies?
Robies are great because it is like having a portable couch that you can wear anywhere. But as far as favorite place, Robies go great with water so I would say anywhere involving a pool, lake, river or ocean.
Any plans to expand the Lounge County empire? Blazers perhaps? A three-piece suit?
A waffle weave three-piece suit sounds incredible! Talk about the ultimate relaxation outfit. We have several new styles in development for this fall including two new lounge pants that we are very excited about. They will be our first non-waffle ventures but we think people will love the fabric just as much. Also, we will be releasing a special Lounge County take on the hoodie.
