Gear up to mix your athletics with leisure

You’re probably more than familiar with athleisure. Blurring the lines between fitness and fashion, it’s a sought-after style aesthetic that is often preferred over a designer ‘lewk’—especially if you’re one to rock gym clothes 60…80…okay, 90 percent of the time.

Athleticism is prominent on runways for the last few seasons. Riffing on sport in a way that reads at once cool and elevated, activewear pieces like sneakers, sweatshirts, and leggings are at the forefront—but with a sartorial spin. For your research; Stella McCartney, Chloé, Tibi, Versace, Valentino, and Paco Rabanne are prime examples.

And why not? Here’s what’s so great about this trend that is ‘Athleisure’.

High on comfort

And the best types of clothes are the comfy ones, right? It shows off your curves. If you’re in your happy shape then tight-body gear such as yoga pants is the go-to choice. Looking athletic can make you feel athletic. Your outfit of the day can affect your mood and the way you feel about yourself. So putting on sporty clothes may inspire you to start a workout routine if you don’t have one already.

Provides great motivation

It can also motivate your friends, family and colleagues to start getting active!

Having no time to look for your workout outfit is a well-known reason for skipping a workout! By rocking your workout outfit during the day you can pop up into your workout sesh at any time!

So, how do you execute this directional athleisure vibe? With the tips below you’ll be able to give your workout clothes a fashion-forward spin for occasions when you’re doing more than feeling the burn.

Must-- Haves to rock this look

A baseball hat, a hoodie, track jacket, or crew sweatshirt. This is something that you throw on while you’re running to your workout, taking off, and then popping back on when you’re headed to brunch.

Not so girlie

One of the mistakes a lot of women make when adopting the athleisure trend is that they instantly try to feminise it, like pairing sneakers exclusively with dresses, or tracksuits with heels. While those are both great combinations, I don’t think that’s necessarily the key to pulling athleisure off, especially if your style isn’t inherently super-feminine.

Instead, don’t be afraid to wear a chunky sneaker with equally chunky ribbed socks. Or try pairing a hoodie with wide-leg pants for an exaggerated, albeit traditionally unflattering, silhouette. Just find that one thing that makes the outfit feel grounded in your own personal style. Right now for me, that means topping it off with a blazer.

Mix and match

Another way to transform gym clothes into a chic outfit is to add non-gym clothes and accessories for contrast.
For example, pair a crew neck sweatshirt with a silky bias-cut skirt, swishy warm-up pants with heels, or sneakers with a pantsuit.

The wonder of layering

Layering staple colours is one way to go from a workout vibe to classic cool. Try pairing legging with oversized shirts, chunky sweaters, scarves, and a long shrug or tunic.
Chose simple colours that mesh with each other well like midnight blue, white, and sand or tan. Accessorise with a pretty shoulder bag and a pair of big golden earrings to give the whole outfit a fun edge.

These are just a few shortcuts that can be adopted to add your own interpretation to the whole concept of athleisure.