Some mornings you want the jeans with the interesting pockets. Other mornings a familiar jogger is the easy answer. We make both because they bring different things to the clothes around them, even when the outfit is just pants and a tee.
If you're choosing between the two for a child, start with the pairs they like wearing already. Think about the feel they reach for, where the waist sits and whether you're looking for something similar or a little different. “Jeans” and “joggers” cover plenty of variation, so it's worth getting down to the actual garments.
Two ways of making cotton into pants
Our Play Jeans are woven cotton denim. The Washed Black Jogger is organic cotton French terry, a knit fabric. They both belong in a conversation about cotton clothes, but the way the cloth is made changes what you're holding.
That's a more useful distinction than assuming all jeans will feel stiff or that every jogger will fit alike. If you can handle the two, spend a moment with the fabric and then look at the whole pant. Our French terry guide gives a little more background on the jogger's knit.
Roomy and cropped, or tapered toward the ankle?
The Lemon Patch Pocket Play Jean has a relaxed, slightly cropped leg and an elastic waist. The jogger tapers toward the ankle. Put the same top with each and you'll get a different proportion before you change anything else.
Compare waist, rise and length with a pair that fits. Then look beyond the waistband: is there enough room through the seat and leg? An elastic waist helps with one part of dressing, but it doesn't settle the rest of the fit.
With a jogger, let the waist sit where it naturally lands and check it while the child is seated. Smooth the legs down to see where the hems rest. If there's a lot of fabric gathered at the ankle, compare the inseam with a shorter familiar pair. If the waist fits but the seat or rise doesn't, another shape may be more useful than simply going up a size.
Try them with the clothes already in the drawer
A familiar top makes the comparison easier. You can see where its hem ends and how much of the pant is showing, and think about how the child will manage the outfit through their usual routine.
The Vintage Fabric Pocket Play Jean brings a print into that decision. If the pocket fabric is what drew you to the pair, a simple top can give it some room to be noticed. You don't need a separate collection of clothes to go with every new detail.
Have a look at care before deciding, too. Contrasting-pocket denim and French terry are finished garments with their own washing instructions. It helps to know whether the routine fits the laundry you actually do, especially when the pair is meant to get a lot of ordinary wear.
There's no particular balance of jeans and joggers a wardrobe needs to reach. If one kind is already working well, the next pair can fill a gap rather than make the drawer symmetrical. For the denim side, our cotton kids jeans guide brings together material, fit and care. Or come by and look at the two together; sometimes seeing the shapes beside each other is the useful part.
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