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Workout Clothes That You Can Wear To Work – Athleisure [Guest Post]

Workout Clothes That You Can Wear To Work

By James Wilson

Our disorganized and casual lifestyle has made us robotic. In modern times, we run after success and try to earn a better living, but fitting in wellness and fitness is always a challenge.

Waking up and going to work has become a lifestyle in itself and when we come home, we usually have no time to fix ourselves a healthy dinner. Many of us experience gaining weight or getting unwell, only to spend more of our income on medication or supplements.

In addition, work stress is a very real issue even among younger workers. By trying to meet high standards, many of us don’t spend enough time to work out or relax our bodies.

To help employees cope with stress and adapt to healthy lifestyles, some companies have started incorporating healthy meals and gyms in their workplaces. This is a very positive initiative but has also left people confused about appropriate dress attire.

At work, we are usually expected to dress formally, especially when attending meetings with clients and senior executives. However, if we wish to exercise on a work day, we would most likely have to bring our workout attire along with us to change into, which could be quite troublesome.

Men's Athleisure Wear for Work

Versatile Clothes for Work and Exercise

To address this issue, the fitness industry has collaborated with the fashion industry to design chic yet functional clothes, which are appropriate for both work and play. These kind of clothes are known as ‘athleisure’, or athletic leisure wear.

You must have seen models and actors wearing gym clothes out in the streets – and they look flawless. With the right choice of workout clothing, paired with comfortable yet work-formal items, you could look very professional while ensuring you have the right gear for exercise!

Some Rules – Athleisure Wear For Work

If you want to wear workout clothes to your office, there are some basic rules to follow.

The first one is that you should get the right pair of shoes. For a comfortable yet formal look you could try loafers, which pair well with both jeans and formal pants.

For most men, offices may have dress rules which bar you from wearing a T-shirt, muscle-tee, or a tank top. However, you could get around it by wearing a blazer on the outside. This is still casual attire with a hint of formality, so make sure that your bosses are okay with it.

For women, a pair of heels, the right makeup, and a good hairstyle can transform the look from simply casual to formal.

If you are finding this difficult, you can start with whatever you have, such as workout T-shirts or tank tops.

As for yoga pants, we will prefer you skip that or look for trousers. We have seen people using yoga pants as well, but for that, you need to make sure you have a long blouse to cover everything.

 

Men's Athleisure Wear for Work

Tips to Get You Started

We know that most people would rather prefer carrying a separate bag for workout clothes than actually transforming their workout clothes into formals. Nevertheless, if you are on the go, it is always better to carry less stuff.

For your convenience, we have listed down some tips for both men and women. You will be able to make an impression without burdening your pocket!

Start With a Basic Top

A solid color top can go a long way. We have seen people sticking to the basic colors like black, blue, grey, navy blue, dark blue, and brown. These colors are a great choice because they are light, breathable and you won’t be able to see sweat patches. Apart from this, gym clothes are made of water-resistant material that make you feel comfortable and fresh even while perspiring.

Men's Athleisure Wear for Work

Get Good Trousers

For office days, we would prefer trousers to gym shorts. You will be able to get joggers with a good enough slim fit that resembles jeans or formal pants. There are also colors that resemble light-colored chino pants. Additionally, some even come with fancy linings and zip to make them look more formal.

Men's Athleisure Wear for Work

 

Throw On a Cardigan

We have seen people wearing a hoodie or a jacket on their solid shirt or a top but for most people, this gets a little bit too casual. Stick with jackets and a hoodie for your daily routine, but keep a formal blazer for work days.

Shoes

If you wear running shoes, you would feel comfortable but this will make you look very casual. It is a good idea to keep a spare pair of running shoes at your workplace. If you do not wish to wear formal shoes on workout days, loafers would also be a great choice.

How to Style Workout Clothes for Ladies

Being a woman at work, you always feel this constant pressure to look good while staying very practical and formal.  By this, we mean that you cannot wear something flashy or too revealing, such as sleeve-less tops.

Additionally, some bling and colors attract too much attention, so you should skip that as well.

With some confidence and your expressions, you could actually make casual attire seem formal. Here are some general guidelines for the casual-formal combination.

Start with a Good Sports Bra

A good sports bra will absorb all the nervous sweat. You would feel cool throughout the day as the fabric is light and breathable. Additionally, this will set the tone for your clothing style. You can choose whatever color you want, but try to keep it neutral. A good neutral color bra sets a fresh palate; when you are more confident, you could experiment with colors later on.

Get a Solid Top

For the solid top, you could either get a full sleeve t-shirt style crew-neck shirt or a tank top. No matter what you choose, you will get a lot of room for dressing up. While choosing the top, make sure it is not very tight and has enough room for adjustment.

Athleisure Wear for Women Style

Right Pair of Trousers

When we talk about trousers most people start thinking about yoga pants. The main reason behind that is the fact that we have seen so many people wearing yoga pants to exercise.

However, it is very important to keep in mind that this might not be the best option. Your pants options could include track trousers, joggers, and other fancy trousers that will give you a formal look.

Apart from this, you could look for light and neutral colors as well. These would give an illusion of formal trousers. You could also add fancy zips for just a little bling.

Athleisure Wear for Women Style

Keep a Cardigan At Hand

An easy cover-up can help you a lot, so make sure you have a blazer, jacket, or cardigan with you. It is better to keep a blazer at hand because this will give a structure to your whole outfit. While choosing a blazer don’t go for bright colors.

Athleisure Wear for Women Style

Get Good Shoes

Just like the men, it’s a good idea to keep a spare pair of exercise shoes at work. This way, you could continue wearing heels during the work day. Wearing heels could give you more confidence and provide a base for the whole outfit, even if you are not wearing a dress or a skirt.

If you choose not to wear heels, there are other options out there. Some people opt for sneakers, but they may look a little too casual. In addition, you could wear flats, boots, loafers and sandals- these are generally safe choices of footwear.

Conclusion

With modern updates in fashion and fitness wear, it is now possible to combine clothes for both work and exercise. By following some basic athleisure tips, you could choose clothes that are comfortable for working out, but are still appropriate for the office!

 

Featured image: StockUnlimited. Post images provided by Born Tough.

Author Bio

James Wilson is a fitness enthusiast and marketing executive at Born Tough. Knowing how being overweight affects a person’s life and personality, he has spent years working on fitness and body transformation, including metabolic training and HIIT. He hopes to share all his experience and knowledge with those who are keen to learn.