It’s Francene here again to discuss gym-to-work wear! We should all be familiar with the trend that has captivated catwalks and engrossed into our closets ‘Athleisure’. This trend is definitely not going anywhere. Never did I imagine I would feel comfortable meeting my friends for lunch or drinks wearing a cute lace top over sports leggings and matching sneakers, plus it’s accepted! Some days I find myself putting outfits together incorporating my sports gear because it is quite flattering (come on don’t tell me your legs don’t look amazing when wearing lycra leggings). I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to know that numbers at the end of last year showed Americans spent more dollars on apparel and shoes than the year before, and much credit went to the rise of active wear across all categories/brands. Athletic wear has become our new favorite casual wear and hence, the birth of athleisure wear for all aspects of our life.
Who is to say we cannot take sporty pieces and bring them into our corporate attire? Most of us ladies are working full-time, rushing from client meetings to lunches to after work happy hours – it’s hard to make time for not only ourselves but to work out (whether it’s at the gym, going out for a run or going to a class). I propose a new trend – ‘AthleteCorp’ (I’m sure the high end designers will one day steal my ideas) but why not mix active wear and your work attire?
Within the fashion world we have seen a shift from overdone to underdone. It’s less about performance and more about looking relaxed and cool. I feel the main push has come from fitness brands collaborating with designers as part of the sea change. We are all aware and in awe of Stella McCartney pairing up with Adidias along with Rita Ora more recently, KanYe West has been causing a stir and not forgetting Mary Katrantzou’s breathtakingly creations. Brands like Alexander Wang have made sport attire sophisticated and refreshing to see in such a subtle way without diving into bright colours we usually see in sportswear.
I have a couple of tips for subtly adding sports athlete clothing pieces into the corporate world, which will make you look effortless, cool and sophisticated but also make it easier when rushing from the gym to your working life or straight from the office.
I absolutely adore good leggings, and because there are so many options we don’t need to rely on just black leggings thanks to brands like Lululemon that offer a range of different colours. Ideally for work I would stick to black, however; you can mix this up with sheer and lace detailing on the side, paired with a lace cami top with a crisp white shirt, killer heels and statement necklace, this is an easy flattering outfit to pull off. To add to your leggings and keeping in the simple frame of mind as you head to the office, you can easily add a tunic which can be thrown over your leggings and tank top; just add a pair of heels for the more corporate look.
Peg Leg trousers are fantastic, especially if they have a killer stripe up the side very good sports look paired with a racer back top and a lace hoodie (Remember that gorgeous lace hoodie we found in La Perla; this would be a perfect addition).
Loafers are huge at the moment. Michael Kors and Tods (see Tod’s article) have a great selection. Sometimes it’s not all about the sky scraper heels. I’m a huge fan of trainers since moving to the states. However, I stick to blacks and whites. Perfect colours to match with your sophisticated sports outfit for work.
Never forget to use accessories to help pull your outfit together for the appropriate look. I wouldn’t expect you to bounce into the gym ready for a work out wearing a statement necklace or bling rings; however, adding delicate necklaces, tribal rings, or a sporty watch will keep your outfit appropriate to work attire.
As you can see, this is just a number of ideas to take your outfit from gym-work-play and vice versa. For me, this trend is all about comfort and looking effortless. Enjoy mixing up your creations, as we all know in this day, making time for working out either before or after a day at the office, is a priority, finding the outfits that make that transition the easiest has to also become a priority!
Images borrowed from: Who What Wear, The Fashion Tag, Brit + Co, Currently Loving Blog, Style Says, Corals + Cognacs, Lauren McBride Blog