As the workforce shifts to remote work-from-home situations, comfort is starting to reign supreme. Yet even with the mass migration, there’s still one essential clothing item every modern man should have in his closet – a pair of grey sweatpants -and we’re not talking about the threadbare holier-than-thou, pizza-stained monstrosities you’ve had since high school.

Now before you close this article in disbelief, hear us out. While Jerry Seinfeld’s take that men’s sweatpants are equivalent to “giving up” has been ingrained in many of our minds, trends of the last few decades tell a different story. Since the introduction of sweatpants to everyday wear in the aerobics-crazed 1980s, sweatpants have been a love-to-hate item of clothing for many. 

In the late 90s and early 2000s, pop stars and socialites pioneered the athleisure look with Juicy Couture velour tracksuits and Von Dutch joggers. And while the late Karl Lagerfeld lamented that sweatpants indicated that “you lost control of your life”, recent looks from pop stars like Justin Bieber to sports icons like David Beckham disagree. 

You may be thinking to yourself, “But I can walk into any clothing store and find 4 pairs of gray sweatpants immediately, why should I think too hard about it?” And you’re mostly right. But with a growth in popularity also comes a growth in sophistication and style. 

Long gone are the days when generically designed, $5 Walmart and Costco sweatpants are the norm. Today, authentic Champion sweat gear runs over $50 at Urban Outfitters, and even designer brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton have dipped their toes in the metaphorical streetwear pool.  

If all of this sounds overwhelming, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best grey sweatpants a modern man could need. Easily transition from your work from home office to happy hour with friends with any pairs from our list.