It is that time of the year when new year resolutions are still fresh and being followed. With exercise being among the top three on the list of resolutions, the trail to the gym should be fairly easy. Unless you are bogged down by the simple question with no easy answer — what shall I wear?
Gyms have become the unlikeliest place to dress up for. Finding the right clothes becomes surprisingly rewarding as technology has taken it up as a challenge. Breathable and non-sweaty are today’s catchwords for gym wear. It is advantage, savvy customers who know what to buy in a bewildering range of specialised clothes. There are clothes that are specific for the weather, the activity and personal preference. For a wannabe exerciser waiting to hit the gym, there are options galore.
Anyway, the best way to assess the current trend in gym wear was to walk into one of the ‘happening’ gyms like Figurine Fitness in an upscale area of the city. Spotting young professionals in the gym was easy. Knowing what workout clothes they prefer was easier. Brands’ logos appeared brazenly on their clothes. Like that of Tarun Sardesai’s apparel. With Adidas imprinted on the top, it was easy to see where his loyalty lies. A golf professional, Tarun prefers the brand and has a mix and match attire, but only Adidas. Kamini, an entrepreneur, who likes to attend aerobics classes at least three times a week, swears by her Nike Dri-Fit togs. She claims that nothing else will motivate her to the gym. Another exerciser on his way to the gym was Capt. Abid Sayed. To him, anything is fine as long as it branded because then the quality is assured. And what about the good old cotton T-shirts that are available for hardly quarter the price? The kind that gets super damp with sweat. There was just one or two plain cotton tees on that particular evening.
Consider today’s typical workout apparel. It may have a label proclaiming moisture management ‘to keep you cool and dry’ or it may have insulation properties that ‘keep you cool in summer and warm in winter’ or it may have antibacterial property that ‘will reduce bacteria and kill odour’. The fabric may be 100% cotton or blends like cotton with polyester, nylon with Lycra or polyester with spandex. The apparel may have mesh inserts that will wick perspiration away from the skin. And talking of skin, the apparel may also declare that it feels like ‘second skin’ while providing compression and comfort. Tailoring is specialised with flat lock seams to avoid chafing of the skin, gussets (triangular or diamond shaped inserts in the seams) to provide adequate stretch, and seamless fit to avoid seam bulk.
Key players in the market are heavyweights such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas. Each has invested in technology and research to create hi-performance fibres. As always, good technology is hard to remain unnoticed. The hegemony of plain cotton seems to be threatened by hi-tech fibres that are making a foray into exercise wear.
Thus we have Reebok powered by the Play Dry and Play Warm technology. Adidas has its ClimaCool, ClimaLite and Clima 365 aimed to keep the exerciser comfortable in any given scenario. Nike, of course, has its Dri-Fit apparel and a reputation. Most brands have their range of compression style apparel for those fortunate enough to be able to carry off the style. For, it is a perfectly svelte figure that can do justice to such a snug fit.
Yoga, which had no need for elaborate clothing for centuries, now has an exciting range thanks to the brand Urban Yoga. With their claim that majority of yoga practitioners in India are women, the apparels are especially sensitive to the needs of women. Apart from trendy attire catering to the young and hip yoga practitioners, they have tops with bottom ribs – to stop it from falling down when performing asanas like sarvangasana – longer backs and fitted necks to pre-empt any wardrobe malfunctions.
If nothing else, one message comes out loud and clear, you need to exercise all round the year. No two ways about that!
