Sad sweatpants are a true, everlasting fact of the treatment and healing experience, forever and ever. But they don’t have to be the totality of this experience, or even the default. There are—and we know it—clothes that are just as comfortable as your saggy-butt high school soccer team warm-up pants. These clothes can look lively or polished, pretty or elegant.
In her book, Surviving Paris, Robin Allison Davis writes about wearing a favorite dress— “a retro-styled striped spaghetti-strap dress”— to her first day of treatment. In her interview with Jadey, Robin says, she’d “dealt with depression a little bit before, and I knew that was something so major in my life, I needed to do whatever I had the energy to do to kind of lift my spirit.” She started therapy; and started dressing up for appointments. No one is looking forward to getting chemo, she says, but picking the next outfit “gave me something to look forward to.”
Here’s Jadey’s guide to comfortable and great-looking clothes to wear to treatment. Welcome to the Non-Sad Sweatpants Club (open to all; temporary memberships granted all the time).
The Work Slack’s Cool, Unbothered Sister
Starting boldly with pants featuring a zipper to prove to you that we’re here with the goods. Jadey Editorial Director Maggie Lange can’t believe how exceptionally wearable these Marine Layer pants are because of this zipper (they also have a sneaky elastic part of the waist at the back). These have a sleek leg cut that’s somewhere between straight and wide. Perfect with a rolled-up-sleeve Oxford and a bracelet-speckled arm.
It’s Jeans: But Hear Us Out
While we are in the era of the wide-leg pant, we are lucky that there are many jean-adjacent options for people who don’t want to be constricted for any reason. We recommend chambray or something loose and lean, like these ones from Gap–and with a little tie at top, this is the perfect way to wear jeans, but not at all.
A Versatile, Soft-As-Anything Skirt-Leggings Combo
We love this Eileen Fisher jersey skirt-legging combination. It’s soft and easy enough to wear on the most delicate days, when you also want to look cute, and also you feel totally depleted (speaking from experience). They’re so cute with punky platform boots; or chunky socks rolled over the top and loafers and a huge, gorgeous soft sweater up top.
Is It a Cute Jacket? But a Blazer? And a Shawl? But a Wrap? Yes.
With a sweatshirt feel and a statement piece design, Inside Edition's Alison Hall (our interview with her here) recommends this Varley item, which she wore during surgery recovery from a double mastectomy and “still wears all the time.” Is there a better pitch than something you got to wear when you needed only the softest, more comforting items—and still want to keep?
Can Recovery Mode Look Editorial? It Can!
This sweater may have invented a new language: “hyper-polished comfort”. This Jenni Kayne Murphy Cardigan is coveted by not one, but two Jadey team members. Its ‘90s preppy little collar, its neat little row of buttons: this sweater is an instant mood lift (or a fake mood lift, which we’ll take in lieu of the real thing). She looks sophisticated, she looks easy, and she’s made mostly of cashmere, so she’ll be soft and gentle on your sensitive skin (and spirit).
A Cashmere Set: Acquired Strategically
“There were weeks where I looked like a disaster— and there were weeks where I was like, ‘I can’t, I want to wear something cute,’” says Marcella Kelson, a licensed social worker, who primarily works with new mothers and women with cancer, and who navigated breast cancer herself. “If you want to feel cute going to chemo: I liked cashmere sets. The Outnet always has cashmere pants and sweaters that are like $150 because they're 90% off, and you’re like, ‘Okay, this is great.’ I had a year of treatment, and so for me, it was very worth investing.” Team Jadey also likes Quince for cashmere, especially their big, boxy, cutely boyish cashmere sweaters.
Low-Maintenance, High Impact: A Peppy Short-Sleeved Sweater
We love this Uniqlo cardigan shirt. It’s one of those items that’s really just an elevated t-shirt, but it gives the impression that you really tried a lot harder? It looks so intentional that no one would guess you could take a nap in it (and might later). We love the jade-y green.
A Slightly Unpredictable White Button Down
A classic white button down is an easy trick for feeling put-together. We always love Eberjey's clothes for a sweatpants-alternative. And this is a perfectly sleek, loose linen blend; that looks really good with the matching linen pants.
A Blanket That’s Socially-Acceptable to Wear Outside
Who makes these rules out here about what’s a blanket for home and what’s a blanket for walking down the street? We don’t know them and we only sort of respect them. But it doesn’t matter, because there are scarves, shawls, and wraps, so extensive—square-footage-wise— that they rival a twin bed blanket. Team Jadey loves this cashmere one from Bloomingdale's, which comes in such nicely saturated colors, and feels so comforting to the skin.
Consider these recommendations a jumping-off point. Rummage your closet for the cutest looking pants that you’d consider wearing on an airplane, or the dress with a nice stretch that makes you feel vivacious, or the soft sweater that everyone tells you is exactly your color. If there’s something that feels like it might give you a little energy boost, or even the glimmer of an energy boost, that’s more than enough to take it with you.
