Hi sweet friends! I hope you all had the most wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend. We spent our time in Chicago with friends and family and had a fabulous time.

One of the things I was most focused on in this trip was comfort. That’s unusual for me – I’m often more focused on a cute, on-trend outfit, rather than feeling relaxed and chic. But with all the travel I’ve been doing lately, finding pants that move easily and go from work to play and from polished to casual is increasingly important to my lifestyle. As active professional women, that’s gotta be important to you too. Right?!

THE HOLY GRAIL OF PANTS

Well ladies, I’ve found the holy grail of versatile pants. And believe it or not, they are full-on ATHLEISURE joggers. GASP. I can’t even believe these words are leaving my brain and going out onto the page. Most joggers I’ve found sag in the butt, lose their shape after one wear, and only work for at home or the gym at best. But not these. I’m shocked! And oh so pleasantly surprised.

Athleta’s Soho Joggers are your new best friend.

In the last week, I have worn them three vastly different ways: with sneakers and a sweatshirt to the gym; with a sweater, leather jacket and chunky-heeled booties on my flights to both Houston and Chicago; and with simple pumps and a boyfriend blazer to the office.

MORE POLISHED THAN JEANS

You may be thinking, Hello Elise. What about jeans? Aren’t those the best pants ever? Sure! Most of the time jeans are great but here’s what these joggers have on denim:

• They pack down small in your suitcase.
• They feel like air on your body.
• They are universally slimming and flattering.
• And with their slight sheen, they have a bit of polish to them that elevates your casual style to the next level of chic.

I bought the gray ones as an experiment and ended up going back to buy a second pair (in dark green). They also come in black, and have a lined option. The lined ones didn’t feel as polished or easy to put on to me, so I prefer the unlined. But if you live in NY or Chicago, I could see the lined version being great in winter.

LESS THAN $2 PER WEAR

As of today, they are on sale for 20% off of $89 for cyber week. However, if you use fashion math and consider the number of times you’ll wear these – even if you pay full price and wear just once per week for the first year – that will equal out to less than $2 per wear. And that’s just the first year. They’ll last for much longer because Athleta’s pieces are very high quality.

STAY ACTIVE AT THE HOLIDAYS

Ultimately, my favorite thing about these pants is that they inspire me to stay active. This is especially important at the holidays when all you want to do is eat and drink all the things. With all the family and travel time, it’s hard to make room for a workout. But when you’re wearing these pants, you can literally throw on some sneakers and go for a walk to burn off the pie. That’s the most I can commit to this time of year to be honest!

P.S. These 1.State booties were a super-steal at Nordstrom during cyber week for only $48. These sunnies are c/o Diff Eyewear and are on super-sale during cyber week with 30% off 1 pair, 40% off 2 pairs, and 50% off 3 pairs. For every pair purchased (I’ve linked my top 3 styles below), a pair of glasses is donated to a person in need. Style that gives back can’t be beat for the holidays! All products shoppable below and in the links in this post!

Thank you to Athleta for sponsoring this post and to you for supporting the brands that keep Belle Meets World up and running. All opinions are 100% my own.