If you’ve ever walked through a mall’s loungewear section, scrolled through online stores, or lounged on your couch next to a partner, the question “Can men and women wear the same loungewear?” has likely crossed your mind. As a loungewear supplier who’s spent 10 years designing, testing, and stocking pieces for all kinds of bodies, I can tell you this isn’t just a question of preference—it’s a mix of fit science, personal comfort, and the quiet, unspoken rule that great loungewear should work for whoever is wearing it. Let’s break this down, from the fabric lab to your living room, and share what we’ve learned in the decade we’ve supplied homes and small businesses across the country. Loungewear
First, let’s talk about the science of loungewear fit, because that’s the foundation here. For years, brands drew rigid lines: women’s loungewear had tapered waists, narrower shoulders, and shorter hems; men’s had roomier thighs, wider chests, and longer inseams. That line started to blur a few years back, when we noticed something in our test groups: a 5’6” woman with a curvy frame hated the high-waisted, tailored jogs marketed only to women, but loved the relaxed, straight-leg jogs we designed for men. A 6’2” man with a slim build found the men’s standard hoodie too baggy in the shoulders and too long in the body, but the women’s oversized hoodie fit perfectly—no need to size up, no awkward bunching at the wrists.
Why is that? Let’s get specific about body measurements. According to a 2022 study from the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), which sets standards for clothing sizing, the average difference between men’s and women’s loungewear isn’t as big as brands make it out to be for core loungewear pieces. For example, a medium unisex jogger has a waist measurement of 30-32 inches, hip measurement of 36-38 inches, and inseam of 30 inches. A women’s medium jogger usually has a waist of 28-30 inches, hips of 34-36 inches, and inseam of 28 inches. A men’s medium jogger usually has a waist of 32-34 inches, hips of 38-40 inches, and inseam of 32 inches. The gaps here are small—often just an inch or two in key areas. The biggest differences are in cut: women’s pieces tend to be more fitted at the waist, while men’s are roomier through the thigh. But for loungewear, which is meant to be loose and comfortable, those cut differences are often negligible, especially if you’re choosing a size that matches your waist and hip measurements regardless of the brand’s gender label.
We tested this ourselves last year, when we launched a line of core loungewear pieces with no gender labels, just size charts and fit notes. We asked 200 people—100 men, 100 women, ages 18 to 65—to test the pieces for four weeks, rating them on comfort, fit, and how often they wore them. The results were surprising: 68% of test subjects said they’d worn at least one piece from the unisex line in a way that wasn’t marketed to their gender. Women with athletic builds preferred the men’s style joggers because the thigh room didn’t restrict movement when they rolled out of bed for a morning walk. Men with slim upper bodies preferred the women’s oversized tees because they didn’t gap at the shoulders. The only pieces where gender labeling still made a difference were niche styles, like maternity loungewear or plus-size athletic loungewear for competitive sports—pieces designed for specific physical needs that don’t apply to everyone.
Of course, fit isn’t the only thing. Loungewear is about fabric too, and that’s an area where men and women have similar preferences, not different ones. For years, brands marketed “women’s loungewear” as soft, silky, and lightweight, while “men’s loungewear” was marketed as durable, thick, and moisture-wicking. But our test group found that both men and women ranked softness and breathability as their top two priorities, regardless of gender. A 2021 survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) backed this up: 72% of men who buy loungewear say they prioritize fabric comfort over brand or style, and 69% of women say the same. The difference is in how people use loungewear, not in how they feel about the fabric. A teacher who wears loungewear to grade papers at night might prefer a medium-weight, stretchy fabric for bending over a desk, while a construction worker who wears loungewear to recover on weekends might prefer a durable, slightly thicker fabric that holds up to washing. Those use cases have nothing to do with gender—they have to do with activity level and personal preference.
But here’s where the conversation gets nuanced: it’s not that all loungewear is the same, or that every man and woman should wear identical pieces. What it is, is that the lines between “men’s” and “women’s” loungewear are increasingly arbitrary, driven more by marketing than by actual physical needs. Let’s take an example: a oversized cotton-blend hoodie. A woman might buy it in a men’s medium for a slouchy, oversized fit that works for layered outfits, while a man might buy it in a women’s large for a slightly more tailored fit that doesn’t drown his frame. Neither is right or wrong—they’re both making a choice that fits their body and style, no matter what the tag says.
We’ve seen this play out in our own business over the past decade. In the early 2010s, we stocked our shelves with separate men’s and women’s lines, because that’s what our retailers asked for. By the mid-2010s, we started getting requests from retailers asking for unisex pieces, because their customers were telling them they didn’t want to pay twice as much for a loungewear set that was just a different color or had a subtle logo change. One small boutique in Portland, Oregon, told us they started carrying unisex loungewear after a college student bought a men’s hoodie for himself and his girlfriend, saying it was “half the price of the women’s version and way more comfortable.” That’s a story we heard again and again, from small retailers to big-box stores.
Of course, there are valid reasons some people prefer gender-labeled loungewear, and we don’t dismiss that. For someone who’s never worn unisex pieces before, the idea of picking a size without a gender label can feel overwhelming. For trans and non-binary customers, gender-neutral loungewear is often a way to find pieces that fit their body without conforming to traditional gender norms—a need we take very seriously at our company. We worked with a local non-profit that provides loungewear to youth in transitional housing, and their feedback was clear: many of the young people they serve, who don’t fit traditional gender categories, struggle to find loungewear that fits and feels like theirs. That’s why we expanded our unisex line last year, adding size-inclusive options from XS to 4XL, and fit notes that describe how a piece will look on different body types, not just “men’s” or “women’s.”
Another point to consider is sustainability, which has become a huge part of how people choose loungewear lately. If you can buy one loungewear set that works for multiple people in a household, that’s less waste than buying two separate sets. A 2023 study from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that the average person buys 60% more clothing items than they did 15 years ago, and keeps them half as long. For loungewear, which is often worn at home and not as frequently as outerwear, choosing pieces that are versatile and can be shared or passed down reduces that waste. When a family buys a unisex jogger set, a teen can wear it after their parent outgrows it, or two siblings can share it—something that’s much harder with gender-labeled sets, which often have smaller ranges.
That said, we’re not here to tell you to throw out all your separate men’s and women’s loungewear. Personal comfort is everything. If a woman loves the high-waisted, fitted joggers marketed to women, and a man loves the baggy, knee-length shorts marketed to men, that’s perfect. The point isn’t to erase personal preference—it’s to question the arbitrary lines brands draw, and give people more options that work for them, not just for a marketing label.
We’ve also learned that the biggest mistake brands make is assuming all men want the same thing and all women want the same thing. Our test group included a 5’2” woman who wanted a tailored, high-waisted loungewear set, a 6’4” man who wanted a long, straight-leg loungewear set, and a non-binary 30-year-old who wanted an oversized, cropped loungewear set. All three of them wore the same fabric line, but different sizes and cuts, regardless of gender labels. That’s the magic of good loungewear: it should adapt to you, not the other way around.
As a supplier, that’s what we’ve tried to build over the past decade. We don’t just sell loungewear pieces—we work with small businesses, online retailers, and even large brands to create lines that meet real customer needs. If you’re a retailer looking to expand your loungewear offerings, or a brand wanting to rework your existing line to be more inclusive, we’d love to talk. We’re always testing new fabrics, fit adjustments, and size ranges, and we’ve spent years refining what works for people of all genders, body types, and lifestyles.
At the end of the day, loungewear is about one thing: making your home feel more comfortable, whether you’re working from your couch, napping after a long day, or lounging with a partner. The label on the tag shouldn’t get in the way of that. It’s not about whether men and women can wear the same loungewear—it’s about whether the loungewear fits you, feels good, and works for your life.
Spring Autumn Fur References
American Society of Testing and Materials. (2022). Standard Sizing Guidelines for Apparel and Loungewear. ASTM International.
National Retail Federation. (2021). Consumer Attitudes Toward Loungewear and At-Home Apparel. NRF Industry Report.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2023). Circularity in the Clothing Sector: Reducing Waste Through Versatile Apparel Design. EMF Research.
INVERSIONES TONGTEX S.A.C.
INVERSIONES TONGTEX S.A.C. is one of the most experienced loungewear manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and good price. Please rest assured to wholesale durable loungewear made in China here and get quotation from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
Address: Building 1, Qixian Industrial Zone, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, China
E-mail: Sales@tongtexpet.com
WebSite: https://www.tongtexpet.com/
