How many times have you thrown on a pair of yoga pants, with no intention of going to yoga? Or, how many times have you thrown on a pair of sneakers because they’re more comfortable than your boots or flats?
Probably more than you previously cared to admit.
But here’s the thing: there’s no need to hide your desire to wear your workout gear in non-workout situations. Fashion and comfort have finally come together in the most beautiful way possible, creating the hot trend known as athleisure.
Athleisure gives you an excuse for wearing your workout clothes when you want to feel comfortable but really have no plan to work out throughout the day. Women are wearing running shoes to the movies, fitted hoodies to lunch, and leggings just about everywhere in between.
It’s certainly breaking the boundaries of casual clothing, but that’s not to say there aren’t rules to pulling off the trend successfully. There are still some things you want to employ and others you want to shy away from to avoid looking out of place.
For starters, if you’re going to dress down for any outing, make sure you take the time to do your makeup and hair. Take a look at the different celebrities sporting the style in Marie Claire. Like them, you want to look trendy, not lazy and disheveled. Overdoing your hair and makeup can also make you look out of place, so keep things simple. Use nude makeup tones, and pull your hair back into a ponytail or a simple braid.
Next, to find out which pieces go together best, check out different photos from athleisure collections. The photos on Woman Within can help you find out which outfits go best for women of all different sizes (because not all of us are a size 0). They can also serve as another good indication of the makeup and hair you’ll want to emulate when pulling off the look on your own. You can’t always see which shoes they pair with each outfit, but a simple pair of sneakers is a safe bet.
And finally, remember that there’s a time and place for athleisure looks. As explained in an blog post on OCR Europe, athleisure is—by the literal word—a combination of athletic and leisure wear. Notice the exclusion of any of form of the word formal, semi-formal, or office-appropriate. If you’re going out with friends, feel free to throw a neon tank top and pair of purple leggings. If you’re going to meet your boyfriend’s parents, it’s probably best to upgrade to jeans.
Remember: tattered, rundown clothes and shoes will take away from your polished look. Stick to new and well-fit pieces, and you can pull of this trend like an athleisure pro!
