A few months ago I started creating outfits for the What to Wear feature for StyleBlueprint in Memphis, TN. The What to Wear feature is to let the readers know what to wear to 3 different events happening during a specific month. Each article will represent three models and three locally owned Memphis stores. The awesome staff at StyleBlueprint arrange the events, models and photo shoot location while I set up and execute the fittings and style the models on location at the photo shoot. I want to share with you my experiences with this, so I’m going to start with the What to Wear SPECIAL: Athleisure Edition article that was for February. I don’t want to take you step by step through the whole article so you can read it here. I do want to give you some tips from the article and share some fun behind the scenes photos with you.
Some of you might be saying ” What is athleisure?” or “Hasn’t athletic wear been around for years now?” I get it, but athleisure is so much more than athletic wear. It is taking what is intended for your workout and blending it into your everyday life. Appropriately done, you can mix things in with your wardrobe for a fun casual look. For this article I chose outfits that are based on three different social settings; what to wear during your workout, how to transition from studio to street-style and how to go all out with your athleisure. The stores chosen for this article, Hot Yoga Plus, Chocolat and Heather Boutique and Spa, have numerous options to allow you to get creative in putting some great outfits together.
One thing I would like to mention that lots of other people will not, is that when athleisure in worn in public it needs to look appropriate. Baring all and leaving no room for the imagination is the opposite of being stylish. Crop tops and tight leggings can actually be offensive to some people and with just a little layering, your outfit can be made publicly enviable. By achieving an adequate purposely layered look you can wear your athleisure almost anywhere.
The photo shoot location was at Hot Yoga Plus and we had three very talented yoga instructors as our models. Of course, being a hot yoga studio it was really hot in there! Dressed for winter we had to loose some layers which is the opposite of what I was stressing for our athleisure outfits. Mine especially, wearing moto leggings, a t-shirt layered with a jacket and a scarf (no picture available, ugh!) You live and you learn right! Also, Hot Yoga may not be the best workout when you have to tackle the rest of your day without at shower!
There are many options for what to wear during your workout. I was so distracted and impressed by these girls yoga poses that I did not get any pictures of them for myself! If you check out the beginning of the What to Wear SPECIAL: Athleisure Edition article you will see they all have different workout-level outfits on. Whether you go to the gym, yoga or barre studio or another type of exercise class, you can choose from any of their styled outfits. Some people feel more confident in showing it all and others don’t. Just remember to grab that jacket or cover up to throw on when you are finished with your class.
In order to make your workout clothing fit into your life off the mat I recommend layering on a top, cardigan, vest or cute jacket where the lengths are dialed in to pair with your leggings and tank top. Accessories are also important, such as a great scarf, sunglasses, the perfect sneaks and a structured bag. These girls looked right at home showing off these comfortable outfits and could not have been more perfect for the photos.
To spice things up a bit the last set of outfits were chosen to take you out on the town in style. Each piece of clothing was made from materials used for making athletic wear. The cool thing about these pieces is they look like regular clothing. A great example was the trench jacket in the photo below, which was made out of the same sweat wicking material as your workout clothing. I was impressed with how elegant and pretty this jacket was and how it transformed into an evening outfit when paired with pants and heels. Some other impressive options that most of us have in our closet are a great pair of leggings and fun joggers. These pieces can be made evening ready with the right top, shoes, and accessories.
Athleisure is definitely here to stay for awhile so we should all enjoy it while we can! The key to being able to achieve success with these looks is to creatively layer your clothing and accessorize to put together an outfit that is ready for the real world after your workout. Don’t over think it , just make it cute! If you are not working out and just want to be comfy, by all means take advantage of the trend towards comfort clothing and be stylish in your outfit choices. With these simple suggestions you can become an expert with your athleisure wear in no time. One last thing ladies, please be thoughtful and just cover what needs to be covered!
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