Essentials vs SKIMS: The Loungewear Layer India Actually Wears

Loungewear stopped being a lazy day category a while back. It is now the layer people actually get dressed in, for working from home, running errands, or the flight to Goa. Two names keep coming up when Indian buyers talk about elevated basics: Essentials and SKIMS. Both took the idea of a simple wardrobe staple and turned it into something people queue up for online.

They are not really doing the same job though. One is oversized, muted, and unisex. The other is fitted, sculpting, and built around the body. Here is how they actually differ, and which one belongs in your rotation.

Photo: Kicks Machine: Essentials SS26 Classic Hoodie Homestead Heather

What Essentials actually is

Fear of God Essentials was launched in 2018 by Jerry Lorenzo, the designer behind the luxury label Fear of God, as a way to make that same aesthetic accessible without the mainline price tag (Source: Apartstyle, 2026). The line built its identity around relaxed, oversized silhouettes: boxy hoodies, dropped shoulder tees, and sweatpants with a wide leg, all in muted earth tones like taupe, oatmeal, and heather grey.

The point of Essentials is comfort you can wear in public. It is not shapewear, it is not fitted, and it is not trying to sculpt anything. It is the hoodie you throw on for a flight, a hostel common room, or a Sunday spent doing nothing, and it still reads as intentional rather than sloppy because of the quiet branding and clean cut.

What SKIMS actually is

SKIMS took the opposite route. Founded by Kim Kardashian in 2019, the brand built its reputation on inclusive sizing and fabric technology, seamless bodysuits, sculpting shapewear, and second skin basics designed to smooth and hold rather than hang loose (Source: Outlook Luxe, 2026). SKIMS is also making a formal India entry through a partnership with Reliance Brands, which is a signal of how much demand already exists here even before physical stores open (Source: Outlook Luxe, 2026).

Where Essentials disappears into a relaxed fit, SKIMS is built to be felt against the skin. The Fits Everybody line in particular is engineered as a layering piece, worn under dresses, tops, or on its own as a going out top, depending on the cut.

Photo: Kicks Machine: Skims Fits Everybody T-Shirt Bodysuit Onyx

The real difference: silhouette, not just brand

The comparison people actually mean when they ask "Essentials vs SKIMS" is oversized versus fitted, not one brand beating the other on quality. Essentials is menswear coded and unisex by design, so it works whether you are 5'2" or 6'2", the fit is meant to be roomy either way. SKIMS is built around body contouring, so sizing precision matters far more, a size up or down changes how the piece performs.

If your loungewear priority is throwing something on and forgetting about it, Essentials wins that job. If your priority is a smoothing layer under an outfit or a going out top that holds its shape, SKIMS wins that job. Neither is really a substitute for the other, which is why a lot of wardrobes end up with both.

Building an actual India loungewear rotation

For humid Indian cities, fabric weight matters more than either brand's marketing lets on. Essentials hoodies run heavier, better suited to air conditioned offices, flights, or the handful of genuinely cold weeks in Delhi and North India winters. For daily wear in Mumbai, Chennai, or Bangalore's warmer months, the Essentials collection has lighter tees and shorts that hold the same relaxed silhouette without the heat.

SKIMS pieces, being seamless and stretch based, tend to breathe better under clothing and work year round as a base layer. The SKIMS collection is worth building around if you want one or two bodysuits that quietly upgrade half your existing wardrobe rather than adding standalone outfits. It also helps that Kicks Machine stocks both loungewear and sneakers under one roof, so a hoodie and the trainers you actually wear with it can land in the same order.

Buying either online comes with the same real risk: fakes are everywhere in this exact category because logo tees and basic bodysuits are cheap to counterfeit at scale. That is exactly why Kicks Machine runs every piece through an in-house check before it ships, so the fabric weight and stitching you are paying for is actually what arrives.

Price positioning

Essentials sits closer to premium streetwear pricing, hoodies and sweats built to be worn for years, not seasons. SKIMS sits closer to premium intimates and shapewear pricing, where fabric technology and sizing range justify the cost. Exact current pricing for both lines is available on site, since new colourways and restocks shift availability often enough that a fixed number here would go stale fast.

Either way, the value case is durability. A well made hoodie or a well made bodysuit both outlast the fast fashion equivalent by years, which is the entire reason people pay a premium for either brand in the first place.

Which one should you start with

If you already live in oversized fits and want your loungewear to look considered rather than thrown together, start with Essentials. If your wardrobe leans more fitted and you want one piece that upgrades everything from a blazer to a slip dress, start with SKIMS. Most people who love both end up owning a hoodie from one and a bodysuit from the other, worn on completely different days for completely different reasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Essentials or SKIMS better?
Neither is objectively better, they solve different wardrobe needs. Essentials is oversized, relaxed loungewear. SKIMS is fitted, sculpting basics and shapewear.

What is Fear of God Essentials known for?
Essentials is known for oversized hoodies, sweatpants, and tees in muted earth tone colours, with a signature 3D applique logo, launched by Jerry Lorenzo as an accessible offshoot of his luxury label Fear of God.

Does SKIMS run true to size?
SKIMS is built around fabric stretch and sculpting, so fit varies more by cut than by brand wide sizing. Check the specific style's size guide, since bodysuits and shapewear pieces fit tighter than a loose top.

Can I wear Essentials and SKIMS together?
Yes, a SKIMS bodysuit or tank layered under an Essentials hoodie is a common pairing, since one provides the fitted base and the other provides the relaxed outer layer.

Is SKIMS available in India yet?
SKIMS is entering India through a partnership with Reliance Brands, with retail plans in major cities. Until wider rollout, pieces are available through verified online sellers.

Whichever silhouette fits your week, the Essentials collection and the SKIMS collection are both stocked with authenticity checked, COD ready pairs at Kicks Machine.