Fashion is hitting the gym. The once judgement-free zone is now turning into a place where baggy t-shirts and sweatpants are unacceptable. Instead, trendy workout pants with vibrant patterns and sexy shirts with cutouts are taking over. Makeup is now mandatory, even though half your mascara will be dripping down your face after a long workout– but it’s totally fine because at least you looked “hot” while sweating (pun intended). These new demands make women second guess their attire and appearance before hitting the gym and are the force behind the success of Lululemon and Athleta, two high-end companies known for their stylish workout gear.
With this pressure to look good at the gym, there comes a reward. For instance, you may find that new hook-up buddy or, who knows, even your future husband. The gym is swarming with hot personal trainers and boys who think they can lift the world while bench pressing so it’s totally possible, right? With this in mind, more and more females are striving toward that goal of being the chick that looks hot running on the treadmill. This new fad is raising a new question: is the gym even about fitness anymore?
The gym acts as the perfect excuse to dress in a cute matching outfit and take mirror selfies to post on Instagram. Again, I’m not hating on this. I’m totally guilty of doing it once or twice before. However, we must admit: the gym has become about more than just working out.
Personally, I know a petite blonde that can dead lift 205 pounds and treats going to the gym like she’s going to prom. She has her pre-workout routine in which she showers, does her makeup and, depending on her mood, either curls or straightens her hair. She then tops her look with the most fashionable workout clothes available. Once she gets to the gym all dolled-up and begins her workout routine, she attracts the abundance of male student athletes that live at the Pitt Center. A boy will ask if she needs someone to spot her and, if she finds him attractive, she agrees. She will then proceed with her workout regimen while flirting with this new guy and the next thing you know she has this guy following her around the gym like a lost puppy. They walk out of the gym together when she is finished and then BAM. She gets his number and is up all night texting him.
Now, is the fact that this blonde bombshell can dead lift 205 pounds the reason she is able to meet new guys? No. She’s able to meet guys at the gym because of her appearance. If she weren’t wearing her skin-tight workout leggings and her open-back tank top, boys would most likely not be as interested.
Revealing backless tanktops are the new must-have gym wear.
Oh, and we can’t forget the padded, push up sports bra…
Fashionable workout clothes have given women a different mentality about working out, and they have also supplied women with comfy clothes that have a multi-purpose to them. In Glamour Magazine, writer Cheryl Franklin writes about one woman in particular at her gym who always looks as if she spent a lot of time getting ready. According to Franklin, not only does she look good, but she has various sets of customized sneakers so that she can match her outfit each day. One day Franklin asked her why she spent so much time color coordinating her outfits. The woman replied, “I want to look good for the hot personal trainers!” Clearly finding love in a once hopeless place is becoming a new trend amongst women of all ages.
The gym is no longer a place to shred calories, but a place to show off your cute, expensive workout clothes. This new trend has even H&M and Topshop joining the movement. These companies now offer stylish workout clothes in order to keep up with the booming market. The Huffington Post calls this movement “Atheleisure.” Women explain, “comfortable and multifunction clothing will always have a place in our wardrobes.” While there is no problem with people wanting to look presentable while working out, the gym is supposed to be a safe zone. The gym is where we are supposed to de-stress from our everyday lives. Are we making life more stressful by transforming this sanctuary into a dating pool?