Style Athleisure Wear

This Dress Is Basically the Leggings Equivalent of Formalwear, and I Never Want to Take It Off

Zoe Weiner

August 7, 2019

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Getty Images/ Thomas Barwick

As soon as the summer hits its dog days, I've got exactly two criteria for whatever clothing I put on my body: It's gotta be comfortable, and it cannot, under any circumstances, show sweat. That's it. Whether or not something is cute doesn't matter nearly as much as its ability to mask my pit stains, so I usually wind up staying in my workout clothes as long as humanly possible. Case in point: This morning, I went to three business meetings in leggings and a top. While it probably wasn't the most professional thing I've ever done (and definitely wasn't the best idea for the sake of my nether regions), frankly it was necessary for running around New York City in 85 percent humidity.

But thankfully, for the sake of my career and personal style, I discovered an article of clothing that not only checks my "comfortable" and "sweat resistant" boxes, but also happens to be cute and work appropriate. Enter Rec Room, which makes the dress of my dreams out of what can only be described as the most comfortable fabric ever to grace this earth and my skin.

Rec Room was created with the idea that women deserve to feel as comfortable as they do in their workout leggings in everything else that they do, and launched a line of dresses to prove it. The founders call their products "everywhere wear," because they're meant to be easy to throw on (even on days when the last thing you want to do is get dressed and look cute) and appropriate for anything your day throws at you. The brand sent me their Black Slip Dress ($128) to test out for myself (I'm 5'5" and wear a size small), and from the moment I put it on it was—I'm not exaggerating here—my favorite thing I'd ever worn.

Allow me to explain: Yesterday, or as I like to call it, "the day I found true love," was one of those hectic mornings where I had to run from an intense workout straight to a work event, and I was still straight-up dripping with sweat after I got out of the shower. Usually when that happens, the absolute last thing I want to do is put on a dress and attempt to look cute.

But this dress was different. Sure, it didn't show any of the sweat that was pouring off of my body, which felt like a definite heroic win, but the fabric itself was really what made me fall in love. It has the same I-want-to-rub-this-all-over-my-body feeling as sumptuous silk, but with the flexibility and breathability of my favorite pair of leggings. It fit my body perfectly (it didn't hug or stick to any weird places the way other slip dresses tend to), and moved with me—it's no wonder that Rec Room says you could do a workout class in their styles, and why their founder told me she swore by the same style as one of her favorite maternity dresses throughout her pregnancy.

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I was a little hesitant that wearing a full-on spandex dress would veer a little too far into "workout dress" territory for my liking (which isn't quite my thing, personally, but to each their own!) but I paired my simple slip with a whole bunch of jewelry, and the whole look was very chic, if I do say so myself. I threw on big sunnies and a pair of slides, and felt like a slightly-more-self-aware version of Carrie Bradshaw walking up Fifth Avenue on my way to the office.

I got approximately 40 compliments on my outfit between Instagram and IRL, and when it came time to change into workout clothes for my p.m. walk on the Westside Highway, I legitimately didn't want to take it off. So I wore it on my walk. And at bedtime, I strongly considered sleeping in it until I remembered that that would be really gross considering the amount of my sweat it was likely holding (but not showing!) from the day. I did, however, come very close to wearing it to work for a second day in a row, because it's one of those dresses that you can throw on with different accessories for an entirely new look.

... I just blacked out and wrote 700 words in 25 minutes about how much I love my slip dress, so that's how you know it's real. No joke— I've already convinced three separate people (hi mom!) to buy it for themselves so that they can experience the joy that wearing it will bring into their lives. Some day, I hope to like a boyfriend as much as I like this dress.

And one last thing: If slip dresses aren't quite your thing, Rec Room also currently offers four other styles in their dreamy sweat-resistant material, which means you can invest in a different one to wear every day of the week—aka my dream come true.

Want to pair your dress with sneakers? Here are some trendy ways to do it. Or layer it over your favorite white t-shirt, which you'll be able to keep clean all summer long using one of these trusty tips.