Athletic clothes. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you own or at least know of this year-round style staple, but just in case I’ll start off with a quick guide:
Leggings – The core or “fudgy center” of the outfit. The thicker material of athletic leggings allows girls to break a cardinal rule and wear short tops with them to show off certain assets without the pain of skinny jeans, making them one of the few fashion trends that appeal to both men and women.
Sports Bra + Top – The upper half of the outfit is a bit more variable. Some girls go full on athletic with a tight sports bra and tank combo while others just wear an expensive, oversized white t-shirt. It really just depends on whether you want to show off your boobs and flat stomach or your toned legs and thigh gap.
Sneakers – The final part of the look that technically classifies an outfit as athletic. While sneakers are a must, they can be either “fashion sneakers” (ie. Superga, Converse, Vans, etc.) or legitimate running shoes (ie. Nike). It really just depends on whether or not you’re actually athletic (more on that later).
Now that we have outlined what athletic clothes actually are, it’s time to discuss their purpose. Yes, there seems to be a fairly obvious answer to this question but it is not often that athletic clothes are actually used for their designated purpose. Most of the time, girls just wear them to look decent without trying too hard. The following is a list of some Lululemon appropriate occasions:
- Early Mornings – Your alarm woke you up a solid 2 hours before you’re actually ready because of some probably important commitment (ie. class) that doesn’t feel so important anymore. Leggings and a t-shirt have all the comfort that sweatpants do without the shame.
- Running Errands – Between grocery shopping, a doctor’s appointment, and getting your nails done, you need an outfit that is both practical and flattering. Cue a designer handbag paired with running sneakers à la Upper East Side soccer mom.
- Working Out – Rare, but self-explanatory.
As you can see, athletic clothes have become a significant element in our wardrobes and with good reason. Wear some next time you want to look effortlessly trendy.