Sporty Luxe went mainstream a few years ago, and has grown into one of the biggest trends of our fashion era. Judging by what I saw coming down the catwalks for Fall & Winter 2014 and Resort 2015, it is only gaining momentum. We’ve reached the point where we can create a completely fashionable outfit based on items from sporting goods stores like Lululemon, Adidas and Nike. What was considered a faux pas ten years ago has become on trend today. And surprisingly, Sporty Luxe is probably the most popular trend among designers for their personal style. 

Sporty Luxe comes through in all sorts of clothing items, colours, footwear styles, garment details, fabrications, and accessories. On the clothing side there are bomber jackets, trackpants, upscale anoraks, hoodies, leggings, silky trackpants, upscale sweatshirts, cotton knitwear, baseball shorts, baseball tops, rugby stripes and rugby jerseys. There are fashionable backpacks, webbing belts and haute baseball caps for accessories. Mesh insets, parachute fabric, neoprene, nylon, perforated textures, colour blocking, and drawstring details add a sporty touch to all wardrobe items. Neon and optical white have been given a new lease on life because of this trend. And sneakers — heeled or flat, chunky or sleek, slip-on or laced, neutral or bright — make up the largest component of the sporty trend. Check out my pinterest board on sneaker style, and the links to athletic sneakers outside the gym that Inge provided a few weeks ago. 

The sporty trend is in keeping with our age of casualization and our increasing requirement for comfort and practicality. The trend is also relatable across genders, ages, lifestyles, budgets, body types and style personas. These factors are at the core of its unstoppable power.

Outfits can be made up of multiple sporty pieces, or just a single item — like a sneaker or backpack — that adds a relaxed and modern touch. Irregular juxtaposition is key with this trend because sporty items are often remixed with dressier pieces to create a jarring combination in a manner that has come to define 2014 fashion. The photos below give a taste of what I mean. 

My clients are embracing the sporty trend with more gusto each year as they discover ways of incorporating pieces that feel right for their style. For some it’s the full on sporty look from head to toe with silky trackpants, a partially tucked big tee, sneakers and a bomber jacket. Others prefer the addition of sporty cotton knitwear, upscale sweatshirts, and rugby stripes with jeans and sandals. Some like combining a pencil skirt with upscale sweatshirts and pumps, layering a bomber jacket over a sheath dress, or wearing heels with trackpants. And some are into wearing sneakers with dresses and skirts, and will throw in the backpack. 

I don’t have an athletic bone in my body and bat for Team Dressy all the way, yet I absolutely love the Sporty Luxe Trend. The comfort factor is liberating, and the juxtaposition screams Modern to me. We can truly “never say never” when it comes to fashion and style. 

I can appreciate just about any Sporty Luxe outfit on others when it’s been put together with fashionable intention. For my own style, I like to keep things very simple and crisp, and have to add in the “pretty”. I was all over the bomber jacket in soft fabrications like lace as soon as it resurfaced. I bought a pair of silk ink blue trackpants that I wear with a sparkly top and dressy gold heels. I can’t seem to get my fill of sporty cotton knitwear, especially in white. I wear upscale sweatshirts in an assortment of stripes. I wear mesh tops and neon, and am very fond of my casual colour blocked black and white jacket. I recently bought a white perforated leather belt from Nike and added a refined white leather backpack to my handbag capsule. And Jerry Seinfeld would be proud that I added a pair of super comfortable, white athletic sneakers to my Summer look. I’m wearing those sneakers sans socks and with tucked away laces, with jeans or chinos that are rolled at the hems, baggy denim shorts or shorter dresses to make them look modern and fashionable. 

Over to you. Which components of the sporty trend have you incorporated into your style? Has your like or dislike for the trend surprised you? If the sporty luxe trend is not your thing, can you appreciate the look on others? Or is the juxtaposition of dressy and sporty just too jarring?

Google glass frames by Diane von Furstenberg, COS celebrates their US e-commerce launch with a fun campaign, and other style news from around the world this week.

• On Monday Joseph Altuzarra was named Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA.
• Diane von Furstenberg is designing a range of Google glass frames that will be sold on Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter.
• The first UK Stradivarius brick-and-mortar store, a Zara sister brand, will open in London later this year.
• Don’t these pictures of Jason Wu’s first Fall campaign for Hugo Boss look very promising.
• Proenza Schouler is dipping its toes into swimwear, and unveiled the collection at yesterday’s resort press previews.
• This is a fun campaign: COS is celebrating their US e-commerce launch with “50 Things“, a virtual exhibition of the United States.

Fun Fashion Fact

French engineer Louis Réard officially created the bikini as we know it in 1946, but did you know that a mosaic in the Roman Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily features one of the earliest known illustrations of a bikini-like garment.

This outfit was inspired by recent “create” sessions with clients. It combines a vest with relaxed bottoms, a layering top, and structured peep-toe booties. It’s casual, trendy, interesting and comfortable. It can work in just about any casual setting in mild weather, or in hot weather with air conditioning. 

The most important component here is the vest. There are many, many styles at your disposal, so take your pick. I chose two options in neutrals for the ensembles below. A white moto that’s a little masculine and quite crisp, and a black asymmetrical drapey style that’s more avant-garde. The ensemble on the left is the softer, prettier and more graphic version, while the one on the right has a hard, arty edge. 

Here are the components of the ensemble. Choose any colour palette across solids or patterns: 

Bottoms: Choose boyfriend jeans, or skinnies / straight legs that you can roll at the hem. Ankle skin is important in order to showcase the footwear chosen for this ensemble. If jeans aren’t your thing, choose harem pants, cropped pants, or track pants that you can pull up at the cuffs. 

Top: Choose a fluid T-shirt, a drapey tee, or a T-shirt blouse. Leave it untucked, or partially tucked in front for a little structure. Choose any length of sleeve or go sleeveless. A lightweight pullover works just as well. 

Vest: A fluid or oversized vest with a longer armhole works better over a roomier sleeved top and prevents sleeve bunching. Fitted vests tend to be restricted to layering over fitted tops, which isn’t quite as fashionable at the moment. Leave the vest open to accentuate its relaxed vibe and boxy cut. 

Footwear: I love this look with a peep-toe bootie because it grounds the outfit and adds an extra dose of fashionable interest. Franco Sarto’s Refresh Booties are surprisingly comfy, and also available in lighter colours. Super soft and cushioning with a manageable heel. 

If peep-toe booties aren’t your thing, substitute with shoes that have ankle detail, like ankle strap sandals, strappy gladiators, or cage heels. 

Accessories: Finish off the look with a bag that suits the mood of the outfit. I chose a perforated shopper to add sporty spunk to the prettier outfit. I chose a crisp light blue satchel to soften the hard edge of the second outfit. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired. 

Summer vests are an excellent way to add a structured and interesting third piece to your outfit without overheating.

This recent forum thread about bra shopping once again made it clear that finding the perfect bra can be tricky. Here are a number of articles that might help make your next bra shopping expedition a little easier.

• Glamour’s Are You Wearing the Best Bra for Your Breast Type with helpful infographic.
• The Telegraph’s take on the T-shirt bra, and Rank & Style’s Ten Best T-Shirt Bras.
• Refinery29 asked its staff for input on the best strapless bras out there, while Harper’s Bazaar has tips for the perfect strapless bra for every cup size.
• Into The Gloss selects bras that are pretty enough to put on display. Refinery29 also weighs in on the show off your bra in public trend.
• And if you prefer to keep it covered, they have tips on 6 Tricky Shirts and the Bras to Wear With Them.
• Last but not least, Sally has done some research on various types of bra pads.

Fab Links from Our Members

Alpha sizing (S, M, L) rather than numerical sizes snuck up on Laurinda’s wardrobe. She just realized that aside from shoes and jeans most of her wardrobe is alpha sized. Joy also found a video that explains the phenomenon.

Angie firmly believes that all bodies are bikini bodies, and this photo shoot proves that point. She loved it. 

Angie also encourages our readers to look at Sylvia’s outfits on 40plusstyle more closely because she lives in Singapore where it is extremely hot and humid year round. Sylvia does an extraordinary job of looking on trend, polished, elegant, interesting and as cool as a cucumber despite Singapore’s relentless weather. Angie particularly loved Sylvia’s recent white-out look. Fresh, modern, coiffed and relaxed. 

Lyn* enjoyed learning about how a fashion house — Emilia Wickstead in this case — gets started and all the personal and made-to-measure touches available to its clients.

As a longtime lover of cordonvan leather, Joy had no idea that there is currently a shortage and found this article fascinating.

T came across a fashion blogger who was criticized by readers for repeating a pair of shoes too often. Vic talks about her experience in this post, questioning whether style as a fashion blogger means having access to infinite clothes.

Caro in Oz thinks that The Row’s new flagship store looks amazing.

Vildy likes the blog Dress like a Parisian, and found Aloïs’ post on How to wear a belt useful while trying to determine whether or not to embrace the fluid fit trend.

Deborah would like to introduce us to Lola from Lola Androgynous. She is in her sixties and has a cool aesthetic that is very interesting and might inspire other YLFers too. Deborah adds that while Lola wears a lot of designer pieces, her look can be achieved by people with regular budgets as well.

Annagybe wants to share two articles about fashion blogging: The Golden Era of ‘Fashion Blogging’ Is Over and Why The Era Of Personal Style Blogs Must Come To An End.