Does anyone else feel this way about wearing sports gear? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does anyone else feel this way about wearing sports gear?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I wear yoga clothes 4 to 5 times a week when I head out to yoga class. I pop them on just before I leave, and take them off as soon as I can when I get home. Reason is that I cannot handle wearing these clothes for a moment longer than I have to. Why is that?

I have good body image so it's not that. My yoga clothes are nice, fit well and are great quality. They are in my happy colours too. My citron yoga mat matches my citron yoga jacket (you get the picture.....). So it's none of those reasons either.

I did some soul searching about this, and have come to the conclusion that I intensely dislike the feeling of the fabrics and the look of the silhouettes - unless I am in yoga practice. I would SO MUCH RATHER wear something casual that's not sports gear. That's true to who I am, so when I wear yoga clothes longer for when is absolutely necessary - I feel very off.

I am surrounded by people who wear gear type yoga clothes outside yoga class by choice BECAUSE it's comfortable to them on all sorts of levels. (People of ALL ages). I couldn't feel more differently to these people, and was wondering if any of this resonated with you?

Dressing

122 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

Aida

Veteran

*raises both hands*

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I knew you'd get this, Aida. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way?

Anonymous

*Shakes head*.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

HAH. I know you love wearing gear, Lisa. We are very different in that way.

Jules

Veteran

My style is very casual but I also have (had) a strong inner distinction between "gear" and "clothes". However, I recently bought some updated workout gear (it had been quite a while) and I find myself more comfortable wearing the gear for longer. I am even eyeing the colourful runners that are everywhere and thinking, hey, those are pretty cute and not that different from my go-to converse. So for me the divide is definitely narrowing!
On the other hand, I have some nice pictures of me and my daughter at our cottage the summer after she was born, and I kind of regret that I'm wearing a free gear top (at least it's plain white with no logos). We'd been out for a walk and I just didn't have a lot of clothes that fit at the time, nor any inkling they'd be special pictures 10 years down the line, and I'd care a lot more about clothes

catgirl

Veteran

Nope, although where I live everything comes down a notch. Thus my sporty casual is other people's gear, my business casual is other people's casual, and so on - environmentally speaking. However, I don't like the look of yoga pants, though I appreciate the comfort.

Anonymous

I agree. After I exercise, that attire has to come off and go into the laundry. The only exception is if I'm going to do household chores immediately after exercising, and then it can stay on awhile. I feel kind of grungy if I leave it on a minute more than I have to, and I'd never go out to lunch or run errands in it.

Joyce B

Veteran

I don't wear too much sports gear so I suppose that answers the question.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Fascinating.

Jules and Una, it doesn't sound like you mind at all. The gap between gear and casual wear has never been as narrow.

Xtabay and Joyce, you seem to resonate more with how I feel.

kimlee

Veteran

In my early and mid-20's I lived in gear - for every activity except work. Now I reserve gear for the gym or for working on our family farm. I don't feel comfortable being in gear any longer than necessary to complete my workout or the farm tasks.

K. Period.

Veteran

Yes, 99% of the time. Sometimes, when it is really really hot, I like wearing my yoga tops around the house because they breathe and have built in bras. It makes me feel like I am poolside. But out in public? Nooooo. And never with yoga or running pants. Nope. Not ever.

skylurker

Veteran

Must be your old Europe upbringing Angie.
People are casual here, but not athleisure-casual (yet).

I don't exercise.

celia

Veteran

I feel very self conscious in yoga gear when not doing /going to yoga. Not so much because of body issues or the clothes themselves ( my color scheme is in the pinks and violets ) but because my inner voice is saying " why are you in gear when you are not exercising?", and hearing voices is not very relaxing :0)
I love my body and the amazing things it can do but am not an athletic person.

carter

Veteran

Mostly no. If I'm sweaty after a workout, then yes, I'm out of those clothes as quickly as possible. However, If I'm headed to a gym class at 10 or 11a, I'm perfectly happy to dress in gear at 7 to walk the dog, water the new sod, do a load of laundry, etc. I feel totally cute in my gym gear until the very moment I realize I am a totally not-cute sweaty mess;-).

Yoga pants are loungewear for me, so I totally don't understand the desire to get out of them! This year, I've also found my way to the athleisure space for casual Summer. In particular, the Athleta capris and skort below crossover beautifully for my needs. They seem flexible enough to go from stopping in on a neighbor to a long walk to a run to the grocery store. Bonus points too because there's no need to change into loungewear at the end of the day:-)

Gap Trekkie Capri

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Gap Excursion Skort

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RobinF

Veteran

I only wear workout gear when working out although around here you see people all the time and everywhere in their spandex capris and Nike's. I personally don't think it's comfortable in spite of being stretchy, just too snug fitting for me.

celia

Veteran

Skylurker hit the nail in my case, 90% is my European upbringing. 10% is my fashion persona and the way I see myself .

Chris987

Veteran

I'm 100% with you Angie. And have no "old European upbringing". Maybe old but not European. I attended a yoga class earlier this week at a new-to-me studio and stopped next door for an ice coffee afterwards and felt very awkward but I just had to have that coffee. That's a rare event for me. I go to an early Saturday yoga class and often want to do errands afterwards and I always bring a complete change of clothes.

Anonymous

I'm in the Aida camp And also European.... Not that I exercise much...but I would much rather wear something other than gear if I'm to be dressed casually. I do like a few elements of Athleisure though and I'm loving my sneakers, and I now have joggers, but no, not gear for other than exercise.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

It doesn't feel authentic to me. I spend as little time as possible in gear.

In the English northern town were I grew up, being able to afford Adidas or Nike was a badge of honour. Track suits were a uniform of sorts, especially in the 90's. The elitist class would scoff, how times have changed as they scramble for their designer alternatives.

amiable

Veteran

I'm with you, oddly enough. I like to wear workout clothes to work out, but wearing them for "real life" just doesn't feel dressed to me, it's psychologically off.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I am the same way, Angie. I put on my yoga wear to go to Pilates class, and I take it off afterwards. Currently I have a class at 6 p.m. once a week, and dinner is delayed until I get home. A few times I've kept on my workout clothes for dinner at home, and I just feel very odd doing so. I'd much rather change quickly back into my jeans for dinner. I don't like sitting around in my yoga pants and tees.
And that's even after I picked up these cute capris! I think they could pass as street wear, but when I made a stab at a street look in them, I decided I would be content to enjoy them just for workouts.

Zella 'Inspire' Jogger Pants

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Diana

Veteran

I feel the same way. In my case it's 100% because of my style persona. I like a wide range of styles, but sporty is not among them. The closest I come is sporty luxe, and that's mostly luxe.

Also, I don't particularly enjoy exercising. I do it regularly for health and vanity reasons, and I feel good about myself having done it, but I don't enjoy the process. So I guess I associate workout gear with something I don't particularly like as well.

I feel like there are some people for whom being sporty is an integral part of their personality, so it makes sense for them to display aspects of that in their clothing choices. It actually doesn't bother me at all to see people out and about in gear, so long as they're clean. Most of them look like they own it. Me? I'd feel like a poser.

ETA: Also, I don't like the feel of spandex/very stretchy things and find them uncomfortable. So I'd much prefer to not wear the tight stretchy things any longer than necessary.

Sal

Veteran

I am fine with it. Some gear is for active exercise and some is more casual...some crosses over to weekend casual and some is strictly for the gym.

Sihaya

Veteran

I wear yoga and workout pants but always wear t-shirts with a sports bra underneath. I have not found gear tops that don't make weird things bulge out on my body. If I wear yoga pants in the morning, I stay in them till I shower. This might mean dropping off the kids to school in yoga pants. I am totally fine with that. I have a feeling that if I wore yoga tops, I'd want to get out of them as soon as possible.

I have a friend who wears long yoga pants as regular pants. In fact, a lot of people in Vancouver do. That is definitely not my way.

Sara L.

Veteran

I hate wearing gear unless I'm actually working out. Then once I work out, it's all sweaty and I can't wait to take it off. I just don't like the way it looks on me, which isn't to say I think I look bad. I occasionaly put on my running tights and think "damn I look good!". But...that still doesn't mean I want to wear them a minute longer than I have to. Also, I generally don't like my clothes to be as constricting as workout gear typically is. Especially in the summer, I want to wear things that are loose and breezy.

Anonymous

After thinking about it, the answer is yes. I only wear my sports wear while actually working out. I rarely wear it casually.

em

I wear sports clothes while doing sports.

Gardening clothes while gardening (and/or running to the garden store to pick up something I forgot in the middle of my gardening)

Snow boots in the snow.

Lingerie in the bedroom.

etc. etc. etc.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Angie, I am much the same way -- although a little less so than I used to be.

Until the last decade, I hardly ever exercised, disliked most exercise apart from walking and maybe a gentle swim, and detested the feel and look of exercise clothing. I also thought that a lot of people who wore it outside the gym were pretentious. What's wrong with ordinary clothes? (Apologies to those who fall into this camp. It was ill informed of me and that was just my poison eye.)

Then I got involved in fitness (ha!! life takes us on some strange journeys!!) and ended up working for a fitness company. (Even stranger!!). Around the same time, gear got better looking....and crossover items became more available...and eventually we had sporty luxe.

The result? I still prefer not to wear gear unless I am exercising or about to go to exercise class...with some very minor exceptions. I have one crossover summer dress that is barely acceptable to me as street wear on the hottest days. And sometimes, in winter, I will wear my yoga pants or running tights as loungewear at home.

This is partly to do with my need for structure. I don't feel propoerly dressed for the public sphere unless some element of my outfit is structured/ crisp. At home, I do love my cozy knits, esp. in winter. But for out of the home?

Remember the butt-vest?? *SHUDDERS*.

Anonymous

Yes, I identify with you!
I have never been able to leave the house in yoga pants and a tunic /drapey tank (unless it's to go to yoga or play sports).
It's possible that it is too trendy for me.

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