If you own fitness wear, then you like to exercise, like comfort, or both! Unfortunately, it’s quite easy to tell when somebody’s wearing their fitness gear, and it’s not always socially appropriate to go around wearing it. Thankfully, with the help of Up Clothing I have put together a small list of things that you could do to make your new look work:
Neutral Coloured Clothing
Workout clothes come in all shades and tones, ranging from muted greys and plain whites to lime-greens and bright oranges. Nobody really cares about these colours during your actual workout, but if you’re taking your athletic gear out onto the streets, you’ll want to stick to something that doesn’t stick out too much.
Black exercise pants are usually a great choice, as long as there’s no obvious lines or patterns on them that could ruin your outfit. If you want to be a little more assertive, grey and white can work well, as can a fairly muted dark blue. For your top half and shoes, it’s really down to whatever looks good, but more vivid colours will draw attention to the fact that you’re wearing sports gear – tone it down if you want your whole outfit to mix together well.
Good-Condition Clothing
Exercise gear is designed to absorb your sweat and move with your body, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t stain or rip if they’re pushed beyond their limits. Odour and fabric damage can change even the most fitting outfit into something that looks like it’s been thrown together in seconds – as a general rule if it looks too dirty or smells too bad to wear around guests in your own home, don’t wear it out in public.
Avoid See-Through Stuff
Some exercise clothes are partially see-through, usually to keep air flowing and sweat out of the way. At home, this is hardly an issue, but if you don’t check what you’re throwing on before you head out the door, you could end up showing off more than you anticipated!
Remember to check yourself over in the mirror from more than just one angle and in a few different poses, including bending, sitting and walking. You never know when an outfit could backfire horribly, especially if it’s made of unrelated items from different brands.
Use a Mixture of Materials
Obviously, a full-spandex outfit would look a bit odd out in public, especially if it’s covered by even more spandex. The same goes for even non-exercise clothes – even a full denim or leather outfit can look really odd unless it’s pulled off just right.
By varying up what you’re wearing, you can potentially make a perfect outfit out of purely exercise gear – it just takes experimentation and a nice variety of brands or product lines. Swap items made of stretchy fabric for more durable ones or use a long-sleeved exercise top as an undershirt for a short-sleeved regular one.
Stay in Your Comfort Zone
There’s no need to dive headfirst into an outfit of nothing but sports gear – stick to what you’re comfortable with. If you’re only complaining about normal clothes is the restrictive pants, maybe swap them out for leisure pants for a day or two and see how they feel. If that’s as far as you want to go, then feel free to end it there, or keep experimenting and see what works for you!
Choose the Right Occasions
Going out shopping or to meet a friend is the perfect place to try out a sportswear outfit, but there are times where it really isn’t appropriate. It’s hard to provide a guide – it all comes down to where you’ll be and what you’re doing – but try to use common sense if you’re not sure or ask somebody else who’ll be going to the same occasion or event.
Sportswear is one of the most “casual” types of clothing in the world, so if you still want to wear it, you’ll need to disguise it in your outfit somehow. Which leads to this last point…
Don’t Flaunt It
Style is important. Appearance is important. But that doesn’t mean that they’re important all the time – know when you keep yourself covered up with a coat or jacket, and don’t be afraid to take a change of clothes if you’re out for a long time. After all, you never know when you might have to put on something a bit more formal or work-appropriate, even if it’s just a pair of work pants or a shirt and tie.
