“Cardio is so much better
when your activewear is on point”

I have a terrible confession, though those nearest and dearest to me won’t be surprised to hear, that I have been involved in a torrid love  with activewear for the past 10 years, long before it became the daywear clothing of choice for many women and no doubt also coinciding with me retiring from the paid workforce and becoming a full time mother. Over the years, I have accumulated enough gym gear, that I seriously have no need (or room) for any other clothing…though I must admit even I draw the line at wearing activewear out at night!

In particular, my passion are leggings or tights and I have been approached on so many occasions, both by girls and guys, with requests and comments pertaining to my tights, that I thought it warranted a blog.

It can become quite overwhelming when purchasing a pair, as with the rise in popularity of the gym/exercise culture, there has been a similar rise in the number of activewear brands available which has been significantly enhanced by access to overseas markets via online shopping.

This year my favourite brand for full length patterned tights has been Running Bare. Why? The material feels luxe with a smooth, silky texture. It withstands numerous washes without losing its shape or pilling and the fit is second to none (no riding up or down when running, lifting weights or saluting the sun). It probably could be described as having a compression fit which as we know is very flattering…holding in all those jiggly bits and yet not stopping your circulation! There are also no horizontal seams on your butt which can be extremely unflattering (I discovered this recently with a pair of Nike tights) when sitting down.

Obviously though, it is the pattern, colour and attention to detail which first draws your eye to any item of clothing and their current designer has this in spades. I have two all time favourites from Running Bare, which are both featured below, and as you can see, they can easily pass from gym to lunch, shopping and even the snow (depending on how you accessorise them of course)!

 

Other favourites are Brasilfit for their patterned and black “supplex high compression” tights, perfect for making you look a size smaller, Loznpoz “Tropicana Black” (also featured below), an up and coming online brand based on the Gold Coast, popular with the yoga and barre attack set, and of course, no self respecting gym wardrobe would be complete without the high quality, diverse range spruiked by Lululemon. I have a been a long time fan of Lulu and cannot praise them enough for their consistently high standard of material and cut, my only criticism is that they do not favour those of us who have been blessed with a more petite stature, so I prefer to buy tights that are either 7/8 or under the knee, as the full length are just way too long for me and having them shortened leaves them baggy around the ankles. They now categorise their tights according to fit eg tight, hugged, relaxed making it much easier to purchase online. Upside are another current favourite for patterned tights this summer but are better suited for less energetic workouts, as they are not as tight fitting as the other brands I have mentioned (even if wearing an XXS), and you can find yourself “hitching” them up when exercising which can be annoying.

Another luxe activewear website, that a friend recommended to me is Carbon 38 which has a selection of stylish activewear brands that are virtually unknown in Australia…Alo Yoga, Ultracor and Free People Movement. There are so many items I’m lusting over on the website that I’m actually finding it difficult to pick just one item, so I’m still procrastinating! However, I love that the gym gear is unique, so that the embarrassing (and let’s be honest…depressing) situation where you are working out beside the next Gigi Hadid, clad in the same tights, is unlikely to occur.

With summer fast approaching, my recommendations to keep cool whilst exercising and still staying stylish, are muscle tops and crop tops (preferred brands being Upside and Spiritual Gangster) allowing a cross current of air to waft across your torso, mesh and cut outs in tights and tanks are a must too, with Running Bare and their perforated mesh line my current pick, and of course replacing full length  with under the knee tights or even shorts…but that’s another blog for another day!!

The question though is, would I put them on, even if I had no intention of exercising that day, and the answer is no, because as soon as I put them on, I know there is no question of me not exercising. It’s a fail safe way of ensuring you will exercise that day, so they can actually be used as a motivational tool too. Very versatile!! Comfortable, flattering and stylish…I really don’t think we can ask much more from an item of clothing and that’s not even considering it’s functionality when actually exercising.