Recently I posted a photo on my Instagram page of all of my workout laundry, and a friend suggested I do a post on workout gear.
Now, I tend to go through a lot of workout gear every week because I teach Jazzercise 5x a week. That, my friends means a lot of laundry. I try not to live in it when I’m not working out, even though it’s easy to do, it’s dangerous (read this post regarding my opinions of living a life in leggings). The trend these days is to wear fitness apparel even when you have absolutely no plans on breaking a sweat. Because of this, the fitness fashion industry is booming, giving us lots of styles and choices!
Here are some of the things I’ve observed of fitness fashion trends:
#1 Loose-fitting tops
It’s still very common and normal to see trim-fitting tops, but the world of loose-fitting tops are making their way from the normal fashion trends to the fitness fashion trends. This is a refreshing change for those days when sucking in and standing tall don’t sound appealing 🙂 Often times you tuck in one side to your waistline of your pants…or you can tie on the side (hello 1980s!).
#2 Bras Making a Statement, 3 Ways
There are a few different ways that the undergarment is making their way into the fitness trend.
Peekaboo Bra
Often times the top is loose fitting, and the bra is peeking out on the sides or in the back.
Colorful Bra Layered Under Basic Top
You don’t have to have a wild and crazy patterned top to have fun. Start being more adventurous with your bra colors and more basic with your tops. Victoria’s Secret has a great selection of fun sports bras.
Statement Backs
Of course, you can always just wear a bra top (but you won’t find me doing this…no matter how much I work out!), but if I were to wear bra tops, I would be looking to find more with statement backs.
#3 Sheer Fabrics
Colorful, sassy pants still have a place in the fitness world, but again, I’m noticing a trend towards solid pants with a subtle statement of sheer pieces to break up the same ol’ same ol’ black leggings (and also noticing sheer in tops).
#4 Joggers
As a child of the 1980s, I knew these as “sweat pants”. But “joggers” is way more fun, don’t you think? And they are everywhere.
#5 Motivational T Shirts
Nordstrom has a great selection of these shirts, but unfortunately I can’t save a picture of them. But check this one out here or this one here. I’ve also seen a lot of affordable motivational shirts at Kohls near the fitness section.
A word on brands…..
There are so many good brands in the fitness industry, it’s hard for me to narrow it down to just a few good ones. Generally, I do believe you get what you pay for. Even though Lululemon pants are overpriced, they are better than a pair from Old Navy. Even though an Athleta shirt may seem a little sky-high at $50 bucks, it feels so much better than a top from Target and lasts longer. But perhaps you don’t want to spend the money, that’s okay. As I’ve worked out more, I’ve come to appreciate the higher quality workout gear and tend to only be buying nicer brands these days, knowing they will last longer. I’ve bought several nice brands via Facebook swap sites, or at consignment stores! They have lasted way longer than my Old Navy bottoms I bought new! My go-to brands are pretty much all the ones you saw listed in this post. I’ve heard GREAT things about the Zella pants (Nordstrom’s house brand), but I have not tried them yet.
A word on supportive sports bras…
If you have anything to “hold up”, I highly suggest plunking down the bucks for a good bra. Here are my 3 favorite for support, shape, and quality: Panache/Victoria’s Secret/Natori. But everyone is different and I would suggest checking out Title Nine for a variety of styles/support levels.
What’s your favorite, go-to brands for fitness apparel?