Sweatpants are soft, loose, warm trousers with an elastic waist, usually made of thick cotton, often with a tie string at the top and sometimes narrow bands at the ankles. They were first made for athletes to keep their legs warm before and after exercise — hence the 'sweat' — but today most people wear them at home, for sleeping, for lazy weekends, or for going out to buy breakfast. Because of that, sweatpants carry a feeling of comfort and of not trying: 'I spent the whole weekend in sweatpants' means you did very little, and 'You're not wearing sweatpants to the wedding' says they are too casual. The word is plural in form and always takes a plural verb — 'my sweatpants are dirty' — and to count them you say 'a pair of sweatpants'. This is the American word. British speakers usually say 'tracksuit bottoms' or 'joggers'; 'jogging bottoms' is also heard. The matching top is a 'sweatshirt', and together they make a 'sweatsuit' or 'tracksuit'.