Sew the Look: Luxury Lounge Set
I have been seeing the Spanx AirEssentials collection all over Instagram, and it immediately caught my attention. The pieces look soft and comfortable, but they also have enough structure and polish to feel like so much more than pajamas. It is exactly the kind of elevated loungewear I want to wear when the weather cools down.
Of course, my first thought was not that I needed to buy it. My first thought was, “I can make that.”
Using three sewing patterns and four meters of coral bamboo French terry, I recreated the look with a pair of wide-leg pants, a split-hem tee, and a knit button-up shirt. The fabric cost about $100 USD, and one similar ready-to-wear tee alone was listed for $98. That is sewing as a superpower right there.
Read on or watch the video on YouTube to see how I created my luxury lounge set dupe.
The Inspiration: Spanx AirEssentials
What makes the Spanx AirEssentials collection look so luxurious? For me, it is the combination of simple silhouettes, beautiful drape, and just enough structure. The pieces mix and match easily, but details like wide legs, deep hems, side slits, and a polished button-front top keep them from looking like basic sweats.
My original plan included four pieces:
- A short-sleeve top
- A long-sleeve button-up top
- Wide-leg pants
- Shorts
Four meters was not quite enough for all four, especially because the wide-leg pants use a generous amount of fabric. I chose the three pieces I knew would be most useful through fall and winter and used nearly every bit of fabric.
The coral color was an easy choice. Ready-to-wear lounge sets often come in good neutrals, but sewing lets us choose the exact color we want. This warm, cheerful coral will brighten up even the coldest winter day and fits beautifully into my wardrobe.
The Fabric: Bamboo French Terry from Fabric & Flow
Fabric & Flow is an online fabric shop in Canada, and they generously gave me a gift card to try four meters of their bamboo French terry. I loved it so much that we have since purchased four more meters in sage green for a future project for Jenni.
What makes bamboo French terry different?
French terry is a knit fabric with a smooth face and small loops on the wrong side. A cotton-spandex French terry is usually my go-to because cotton gives it stability and structure. Bamboo French terry behaves differently.
Bamboo is processed into a regenerated cellulose fiber in much the same way as rayon or viscose. It gives this fabric more weight and fluidity—not weight in the sense of being thick, but in the way it falls and moves. The spandex adds stretch and bounce. The result is soft, smooth, drapey, and incredibly comfortable against the skin.
That drape is also what makes the set feel elevated. The fabric flows through the wide legs and gives both tops a soft, luxurious finish without losing their shape. It washed beautifully before sewing, too.
The Wide-Leg Pants: Pattern Emporium Walk Boldly
For the bottoms, I used the Pattern Emporium Walk Boldly Wide Leg Pants*. I had recently sewn another Pattern Emporium pants pattern that fit me extremely well, so I felt confident starting with this one. It turned out to be exactly the right choice.
The Walk Boldly Pants include:
- A wide-leg silhouette designed for stretch knit fabrics
- An elastic waistband
- A faux fly
- Short, regular, and tall lengths
- Multiple front and back pocket options
- Optional back darts for a more tailored fit
I chose the curved jeans-style front pockets and kept all four back darts because I wanted these pants to look a little more tailored. The waistband and faux fly give them the polish of trousers while the knit fabric and elastic waist make them feel like lounge pants.
How did I adjust the fit?
The pattern fit remarkably well straight away. I made my usual small crotch adjustment and chose the short length.
- Scooped the back crotch curve by 3/8 inch
- Cut the short length
- Used a 1-inch hem
- Made no additional length adjustments
These also sewed together very quickly. Even with pockets, I finished everything except the hem in less than an hour. That is an excellent return on sewing time for a pair of pants that looks this polished.
Because bamboo knits can grow with wear, I will pay attention to the crotch seam after I have worn the pants for a full day. If I notice any sagging, I can stabilize that seam with clear elastic. The method is similar to my tutorial for stabilizing a pants crotch seam with cotton twill tape, but clear elastic is the better choice for a knit fabric because it will stretch with the garment.
The Short-Sleeve Top: Love Notions Barrington Tee
The $98 ready-to-wear short-sleeve top was the piece that really made me appreciate the value of sewing this set. I loved its simple shape, deep hem, and side slits, and the Love Notions Barrington Boxy Tee* gave me all of those details.
The Barrington Tee includes:
- A relaxed, boxy silhouette
- Multiple neckline options
- A faced split hem with side slits
- A deep hem that adds weight and polish
I chose the deeper scoop neckline and made the faced split hem for the first time. Normally I use a standard hem on this pattern, but the facing is what makes this version special. The deep topstitched hem and little side slits look remarkably similar to the inspiration top. I also used a 1-inch sleeve hem for a substantial, ready-to-wear finish.
What fitting changes did I make?
This was a familiar pattern, so I kept the adjustments simple:
- Cut a medium with the full-bust front piece
- Shortened the bodice by 1 inch at the waist
That was all it needed. The bamboo French terry is a little heavier than a typical tee fabric, but its drape keeps the boxy silhouette from feeling stiff or bulky.
The Knit Button-Up: Love Notions Frankie Polo Hack
The knit button-up shirt may be my favorite piece in the entire set. It has the visual polish of a collared shirt, but it is as soft and comfortable as the rest of the outfit.
I could not find a knit button-up pattern that matched the inspiration, so I started with the Love Notions Frankie Polo* and turned its partial placket into a full button front.
The Frankie Polo includes:
- A polo-style neckline and collar
- A partial front placket
- Top and dress lengths
- Long sleeves with cuffs
- Full-bust pattern pieces
If you purchase either Love Notions pattern, use code SEWWHITNEY for 10% off any order of $8 or more*.
How did I turn a polo into a button-up shirt?
The hack was surprisingly simple. Instead of cutting the front on the fold, I cut two mirrored front pieces and extended the existing placket all the way to the hem. Technically, I could have added seam allowance below the original placket area, but cutting directly along the fold line gave me enough room and worked well for this version.
I then:
- Extended and interfaced both front plackets
- Used the original long sleeves and cuffs
- Sewed the collar according to the pattern instructions
- Interfaced both collar pieces for extra support
- Finished the inside neckline with yellow bias tape from my stash
- Added a subtle curved shirttail hem
- Finished the hem with matching bias tape
- Used buttons already in my stash
Why interface both collar pieces when the pattern calls for only one? This bamboo French terry is fluid and a little heavier than many polo knits. Interfacing both pieces gave the collar enough support to hold its shape and kept one layer from shifting or collapsing against the other.
What fitting changes did I make?
I used the same familiar Love Notions sizing adjustments as I did for the tee:
- Cut a medium with the full-bust front piece
- Shortened the bodice by 1 inch at the waist
The finished shirt looks polished with the wide-leg pants, but it will also work as a light layer over the tee or with other pants and shorts already in my wardrobe.
Was Sewing the Lounge Set Worth It?
Absolutely. Four meters of fabric cost just under $100 USD before shipping, and I used notions that were already in my stash. The comparable ready-to-wear short-sleeve top was $98 by itself, and purchasing three similar pieces would likely cost well over $300.
More important than the savings, every piece fits my body, suits my personal style, and comes in a color I love. I can wear the pants with either top, layer the button-up over the tee, or separate all three pieces and mix them with the rest of my wardrobe.
This project is a perfect example of why I love a Sew the Look challenge. We do not have to copy a ready-to-wear outfit stitch for stitch. We can identify what makes it appealing, choose patterns that capture those details, and then customize the fabric, fit, and finishes for ourselves.
My coral lounge set is soft enough for a quiet day at home, polished enough for errands or travel, and ready to carry me through fall and winter. I am completely thrilled with all three pieces—and very glad I decided to make the look instead of buying it.
*This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through one of my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Fabric & Flow provided a gift card toward the coral fabric featured in this post. All opinions are my own.
