Athleisure as a term and ensemble seems to be all the rage. Just like nude shoes, everywhere I look, I see women in ‘sporty chic’ all day every day. Kate Hudson, Beyonce and Net-a-Sporter are evidence of the popularity of this trend. This was all wonderful until I heard that some companies in the US will make it acceptable to wear sweatpants to work. One word, ridiculous. Please don’t get me wrong, I am all for being comfortable in what you wear but too comfortable = lazy.
It’s perfectly acceptable to wear yoga pants if you are in fact going to yoga or the gym, but wearing them all day long…why? Unless your closet got broken into and your only surviving piece of clothing are those pants, it’s not okay. Ladies, yoga pants are not pants, no matter what anyone tells you. There needs to be either a zipper or button to qualify.
I can’t say that it’s not tempting: elasticated pants (even though my Lululemons are pretty darn tight), tennis shoes and a t-shirt, how bad can that be? It’s comfy and not to mention, stretchy and lastly…easy. Comfy, easy, stretchy. Is this your daily look? One day I was heading out of my house and my son said me ‘I thought you already went to exercise.’ When I told him I was running out to get milk, he looked at me, bewildered and said ‘then why are you wearing exercise clothes’? Case and point.
Yoga pants, as gorgeous and sophisticated as they are, signify lazy. You are your own personal brand. When people think of your brand, is lazy/comfy your desired brand image? I doubt anyone wants to bag the award for the most comfortable dresser of the year. If someone nominated me for that, I wouldn’t show up for the ceremony, no chance. Most glamorous, most avant garde, most number of nude shoes etc etc, bring it on!
This goes back to what I’ve said before, how you choose to present yourself says a lot about your relationship with you. What message are you giving out to the world? Lazy or polished? Comfortable or glamorous? Put together or disheveled?
Dress for the where the day may take you. You just never know. You also never know who you’ll run into, a lesson I’ve learnt the hard way. The times when I look my absolute worst, I have just happened to run into friends and frenemies alike. My husband often comments that I’m a woman of extremes, either I look fully polished or like a homeless person. No middle ground. No offence to the lesser fortunate, but being the queen of homeless chic is not the brand image I’m going for, so I keep that to the confines of my home.
In closing, athleisure is a trend that is likely here to stay but I urge you to not make it your daily uniform. There are so many more looks vying for your love and attention. Think about how you would describe your style sensibility in three words. And finally, what is your personal brand?
