Designers are showing heeled sneakers, bags with punch-out detailing, sweat pants and sweat shirts in their collections. These sporty items were extremely fringe a few years ago, but the vibe is growing in popularity. The point is NOT to wear this look from head to toe. One, or at most two sporty items per outfit is how the designers envisioned it.
Here are the four main items in the trend and my thoughts on each of them.
Sweatpants
These sweatpants are supposed to be worn with somewhat dressy heels just like in the photos. The tops can either be smart casual or dressy. The grey pair on the right seems much easier to match up with a top and structured blazer than the lemon pair on the left. A forum member recently pulled together a very structured neutral blazer look with booties and “trendy sweatpants” and I really liked the outfit. She also pulled up the hems for a scrunched look on the leg, which added significantly to the look.
Sweatshirts
So far, the sweatshirts don’t make it through my style filter because they look too much like loungewear. Matching them with dressy bottoms seems off, and wearing them with jeans is the type of combination that we are trying to avoid. To my eye, making them high fashion is a bit of stretch at the moment. But perhaps someone will surprise me and wear a “trendy sweatshirt” in a killer way.
Bags
I love the bags that are part of this trend. They can work with casual and smart casual outfits quite effortlessly. They’ll look dressier in dark neutral colours, but I also like the pastels and the brights.
Sneakers
I’ve never had a problem with this type of heeled sneaker and have previously drawn attention to similar styles in 2008 and 2011. If you want to wear sneakers but can’t wear flats because of feet with really high arches, these are a great solution. For some women, low to mid heels can actually be more comfortable. They look great with skinnies, straight leg jeans and trousers, or short shorts if you have youth and a great set of gams on your side.
Wearing sweats and sneakers has become a fashion statement. The look is by no means sloppy, but it’s still pretty fringe. So ladies, how does this sporty trend grab you?
