The first thing I do with a pair of joggers is scrunch the cuff in my fist. If it springs back without a fight, the fabric's got some weight to it and it'll hold its shape past October. If it stays scrunched, that's a sign the cotton's thin and the ankles will go baggy and a bit sad within a month of washing.
These earn their place from the first properly cold morning right through to the end of winter, worn with trainers for the school run, worn with boots and a big jumper for absolutely nothing in particular, worn on a sofa on a Sunday when getting dressed felt like too much effort. They're brilliant for travel too, the kind of thing you sit in for three hours on a train and still want to wear when you get off. Where they fall apart is anywhere smart is required, obviously, but also anywhere it's actually warm. Cotton joggers in July cling in all the wrong places and leave a damp patch at the back of the knee that no amount of confidence fixes. And a thick jogger paired with a bulky trainer and a cropped jacket just reads like you gave up three decisions in, so I'd pick one chunky item and let the rest be plain.
Over time, cotton joggers either go two ways. The good ones soften without losing their shape, the waistband staying put instead of rolling down by lunchtime, and the colour fading evenly rather than patchy at the knees. The bad ones bobble along the inner thigh within a few washes, which is the fastest way to make a grown woman look like she's been dragged through a hedge. A cooler wash and turning them inside out before they go in the machine makes a real difference, and skip the tumble dryer if you can, it's what shrinks the leg length and leaves you with something that stops at the ankle bone like it's trying to be cropped on purpose. Hang them instead and they'll keep their drape for a lot longer than the care label would have you believe. Worth checking the inner seams too before you buy, since that's usually where the cheap ones go first.
So before I hand over any money, I ask myself one thing: will these still look like joggers and not loungewear casualties after a winter of actual wear?