I actually kind of wish I did like yoga gear more because I think the people who wear it can look very stylish in a hip and happening kind of way.

I incorporate gear into my outfits all the time. If it weren't for giant logos I'd wear more. Some examples are the under armour jacket, gapfit long sleeve tees, and Zella harems. I'm super picky about the feel of my gear on my skin though. Strangely enough, my love of gear does not really cross over into footwear. I don't love either fashion or athletic sneakers.

I'm much more likely to lounge at home in them during the winter months when I want to feel covered and cozy. Otherwise, it just doesn't feel like me. I like my pretty, casual, and fun wardrobe much more.

So here's the thing. I don't like gear and feel kinda icky about seeing it on the street unless someone is clearly on their way to class/gym.

HOWEVER, there's this whole class of earth goddess hippie wear that I feel quite fine about... But truth be told, I think it may be the same as gear... For example this line of clothing: http://xylemclothing.com/index.....Path=34_10

I usually don't wear my Yoga clothes for long after Yoga class. However, DH and I might go for lunch after Yoga and then we are both wearing Yoga clothes. Not a big deal in our town. It is a small town that blossoms in the summer with cottagers and tourists. You can imagine what people wear.
I don't mind the feeling and I don't mind the look. I do have a cover up for Yoga. Usually a long sweater or tunic type thing. Lululemon sells such items.

I'm an outlier here and like to wear yoga clothes for casual wear (not after sweating or anything). I usually wear yoga bottoms with a dressy tee. It's comfortable for me, the pants look as good as most ponte pants, and it is a style often seen in California. With all the stylish yoga clothes out there, the line between sporty luxe and gear seems very thin.

It's funny because I don't actually DO yoga. I take ballet classes and then change into my yoga or athletic bottoms.

Thanks for indulging me with your thoughts, ladies. It’s been awfully interesting. Please know that I am not judging you negatively if you feel the opposite to how I do. It’s merely a matter of preferences and wearing what makes us happy. I would be VERY unhappy having a meal out after yoga class in my yoga clothes. I think I would burst into tears.

There is a big difference between Athleisure and Sporty Luxe. The former incorporates authentic sports gear into your outfit, whereas the latter is about wearing sports inspired clothing or trims with dressier pieces.

Kimlee, what caused the change?

K. Period, AJ and Carter, yoga wear as loungewear can work well. Not for me - but I understand the appeal.

Skylurker, I think you’re right. And come join me in yoga class.

Celia, YES. I resonate with your inner voice.

Robin and Sara, those snug fits are precisely why I can’t wear yoga wear as lounge wear. I like floppy and big lounge clothes.

Chris, I go back home to change out of my yoga clothes before I head out again.

Diane and Jules, you’re on my Team. You prefer Sporty Luxe. And you’re dead right about how times have changed.

Amiable and Firecracker, high five to everything that you said.

Diana, you make a lot of sense as always. Now come join me in yoga class. I bet you’d like it.

Sally, you wear a sporty look with the best of them.

Sihaya, I bet you see lots of people in gear on the school run.

Suz, you should re-try the butt vest with your new hair and tops. I suspect it's going to work well. And the rest of what you said makes lots of sense.

Rachy, that’s quite the hybrid!

Angie, I am with you--the few times I've worn sports gear for the rest of the day I've felt very weird. Not only do I not like wearing sports gear around, I don't even like wearing loungewear very much--I generally stay in my day/work outfit until I change into pajamas, which is often only an hour or so before I go to bed. I own very little loungewear other than pajamas actually. The odd thing is that I was raised to wear "real clothes" out and change back into loungewear as soon as one arrives at home--this is still what I do when I visit my parents, but living in dorms changed that.

I think I'm mostly the same way - but for particular items, and what I use them for. I wear athletic skorts on a daily basis in hot weather. I love my yoga jacket because it has a peplum in back and really flatters my shape. I've got some cute gear tops.

But when I've recently used a particular item for working out/yard work/dirty cleaning/bike riding, I do NOT want to wear that item around. Nor the cute workout tops that I use in those cases or riding my bike.

Last summer I practically lived in workout gear because I was rehearsing for a show (Mary Poppins). I bought a lot more skorts/tees/leggings/etc and enjoyed putting new combinations together. But when I was not in rehearsal? And for months afterward? Dresses and skirts. In knits, just as light and comfortable, but not workout gear. They were all associated with the work and sweat and tiredness and achey feet of rehearsal.

So for me, it's about association. I never wear the yoga jacket for actual athletic pursuits, so it stays just a fashion choice.

I don't really feel dressed in workout clothes. It's like starting the day in your pjs or without making the bed. If I wear them any longer than necessary, I feel like I'm forgetting something.

I think I can understand how you feel about yoga fabrics, at least. They are synthetic-feeling and clingy. I prefer not to wear them at all, but then, I don't go to a yoga class.

As for the gear I do wear -- sweatpants or sweatshorts, hideous hot pink running shoes and old, grubby tee shirts -- no, I don't wear that for anything other than trail running or hiking. I certainly wouldn't go out to dinner in my gear!

I do wear sweatpants around the house though, but they're not the same ones I run in.

Psychologically I'm most comfortable in a pair of loose-ish jeans and a tee shirt.

Maybe an odd question, but what if you went the long way around and chose to wear clothes you are comfortable in to do yoga? Why do you have to put on gear that is outside your comfort zone? Maybe there are clothes that would fit the needs of a yoga class and also feel right to you?

We go tent camping quite a bit in the summer, but I don't have any gear clothes for that. I evaluated what is important to me when camping...layers, not denim, cute enough and not extremely delicate. Who's that lady in a linen shirtdress and cashmere cardigan over there building a fire? Yeah, that's me.

Angie - I'll attribute a large part of the change to find YLF and learning to think of gear as just that ...gear. Additionally, taking on a managerial role at a relatively young age - I was only 30 when I reached executive status - think I subconsciously wanted to distance myself from the preconceptions around people of my age group - and one way to do that was thru the way I dressed - even outside of the office. As I started to develop my style for both work and play, I found that I was more comfortable "dressing up" than hanging out in gear.

I'm the same way, Angie. I'm at the gym several times a week and the gear goes on just before and comes off when I'm done. It's sole purpose is for exercise. I just don't love gear for general wear and I'm not into the sporty look. I'm mostly a casual dresser but it's just a bit TOO casual and I don't feel put together.

I don't feel that way. Not because I want to wear yoga- wear or gear specifically, but because I associate exercise outfits with an energizing feeling, positive self-image ( an exercising, healthy person), or fun experiences( hiking), physical preparedness and sometimes clever construction features.

It depends on the fabrication. I HATE those quick-dry shirts. I had to buy a few of them for a recent outdoorsy road trip and it was torture shopping for them and spending money on them. I'm glad I had them on vacation, though, but strictly from a functional standpoint; I didn't feel like I looked good AT ALL. I find the quick-dry t-shirt styles and that polyester material to be so unflattering. I found Kuhl quick-dry bottoms I liked, though. But tops ... I looked like such a MOM. UGH.

But I find yoga pants, sweat pants and sweatshirts to be very yummy to live in ... almost too yummy, so I don't wear them outside the house (except sweatshirts).

ETA: I am a mom, btw.

Back to say I HAVE taken to wearing tech gear capris at the bakery - flour just slides right off it, lol. It probably looks pretty bad on the street. But inside, everyone (the women that is) is wearing the same... it's a de facto uniform (besides, you know, white jacket and apron)...

I'm a little taken aback at the number of "us" who don't like wearing workout gear. I'm also taken aback at the number of "us" who don't work out on a regular basis. Not in a judgmental way at all, but my god, if I didn't work out, I cannot even begin to imagine what horrors would overcome my body. How do you all get away without it? I am constantly stressed out because I don't work out enough!

But back to wearing yoga/gym gear outside of the studio/gym - I'm puzzled at the dislike of it, and at the reactions posted to seeing other people wandering around in it. Now, I am assuming Angie does not mean going for coffee in your sports bra, but rather going out in public in yoga tights and a tank and a sweater of some sort. I don't understand why that is so bad. I think yoga and workout gear can be incredibly chic and even a bit sexy when worn nicely - and providing one's - ahem - regions are covered. Those peplum Lulu jackets over tights and a tank are so cute! I also don't assume Angie means wearing the outfits you've worn to spin class or hot yoga where the sweat factor is off the charts - I'm taking this to mean keeping on your running skirt or tights or shorts and loose tank after a walk/ yoga/a weight workout for a few hours. I do it EVERY DAY! I'm starting to worry I'm missing something - or that I'm an anomaly in thinking it's ok. I truly would wear workout gear all day long if I could - right now, my go-to after work is a Gap running skirt and a tank top. And I'm old ! Eek - maybe I need to look harder in the mirror?

You have my sympathy! I dislike most "gear" fabrics intensely. They make me feel hotter when it's warm, and chilly when it's cold, and those surged seams are uncomfortably lumpy. I also find the harsh color choices unappealing. I exercise for an hour every day, but at home, so my workout clothes are mostly ancient cotton knits or sweats, layered, and tossed into the wash as soon as I've finished my workout. I would hate having to dress up in modern exercise gear for the gym!

No, I agree, Lisa. That's what I mean. There are things that I think probably classify as gear that I think look good and street ready...

I kinda agree with Angie, but not because I find it uncomfortable per se. I tend to buy gear that's snugger than my street clothes, since most of my working out is long-distance walking and I don't want chafing or rashes. So it's more body con than I would choose normally, and in technical fabrics that are thinner than the average normal woven. Plus most of the time I've gotten pretty sweaty, so I wouldn't want to keep anything on longer than I had to before taking a shower and changing.

I do find some of the practical features of gear and that crossover category of 'sporty girl' stuff appealing - Title 9, Athleta dresses, the like - but they almost never offer it in cusp/plus sizes, and never in tall inseams, so I'm sized out of most options.

I have a good friend who's an avid rock climber and hiker, and I actually think her wardrobe would be more modern and current if she did wear gear more often. She usually opts for jeans and a tee with sneakers most days, and it just looks a little old fashioned (she's younger than me, in her mid 30s). Athleisure would be more interesting, and more congruent with her personality and interests. (Of course I would never tell her this unless she asked.)

I'm the same way, Angie. My reason for not wearing them outside of yoga class is because I don't think of them as anything other than exercise clothes. When I get home, I change into "real" clothes - usually the smart casual stuff I like to wear, but sometimes dressier clothing if we're going out somewhere.

Lisap, I can relate, as noted above.
The use of the term " gear" was new to me before YLF as was the idea of its being s universal faux pas on the street.
I think of it as being more relative and situation specific because lots of non- gear outfits are tacky appearing and many " gear" outfits very attractive.

I only wear them for yoga. I find them too hot in the summer to run around in.
Plus for me it is a mental thing put on the exercise clothes and go exercise if I used them for everything I would never go to exercise. Just a mental thing in my case.

I went through a brief phase of wearing it all the time because I was doing things that made freedom of movement and easy care fabrics practical. I still wear it, but I'm dressed in other clothes by late morning.

Ironically the more common it is to see women in yoga wear outside of exercise class the less I'm comfortable myself.

I kind of don't want to be in line behind someone who may have just finished their spin class. It's not selfish to wear gym clothes to the grocery store but it's not exactly thoughtful either. There are a lot of people who can't lead leisure wear all day lives.

As casual a dresser as I am, I always want to look clean, neat, reasonably well groomed and like I probably smell pretty good too.

I get not wearing exercise wear outside the gym or studio. While I am currently having a major love affair with some gear as loungewear (Zella Inspire capris coupled with Uniqlo Airism heavy tees/zip hoodies), I don't want to wear those pieces on the street unless I am taking a long walk in my neighborhood. Part of it for me is that I like my clothes enough to want to differentiate between activities and additionally, have some discomfort with the less structured look of "sweats". However, sweats have come a very long way and I see folks looking put together in gear.

I feel more presentable and ready for a day if I am not in the same things I put on before bed or to exercise. Even when I was house bound post surgery, it meant a lot to me to be recovered enough to wear "real" clothes. As a former work from home, now retired person, perhaps these distinctions matter more, too. It's part of how I structure my days. If I was dressing regularly for an office, I might see things a little differently on the other days.

I appreciate the question and discussion, Angie.

Lisa, for me it's less the look than the feel. Now that a lot of gear is quite cute and sporty luxe is a thing I think it's possible to make pretty good looking outfits from gear. But I don't like the feel of wearing all snug, poly knits. It also doesn't mesh with the image I'd like to convey. Although that is less true than it once was. Given my hobbies. The other thing is, I work out so often that I feel like I wear it enough. I want to wear the rest of my clothes.

I wear yoga clothes to yoga and hiking clothes when I'm hiking and change when I get home. I think that some styles crossover and can be worn casually but the ones I wear look too sport specific.

Thanks for your thoughts, ladies. It's an interesting discussion because it shows how differently we feel about the same type of outfit. There should be no negative judgments either way.

Lisa, most of friends and relatives who live abroad in Europe and Hong Kong do not exercise at all. They simply walk or bike everywhere and are fit, happy and healthy. As for yoga or sports gear - these days it can look cute as the gap between trendy casual and sports gear narrows. Athleisure is a HUGE industry that knows no bounds, and the items are very fashionable these days. Personally, I think of it as practical, comfortable, ultra casual and sporty, rather than chic. It's become one of the most common ways to dress in 2016.

As far as understanding why I don't like wearing gear - think of the items that you really don't like wearing - and it's the same thing! Some people really like wearing gear, and some don't. That's really all it is.

Tracey, a lateral thought! My yoga clothes work extremely well for yoga, which is important because it took a while to find what I like best to move through the poses in. I see no reason to change them when I can change into my regular clothes at home.

Kimlee, that makes sense.

Just to add, I do not run around in spandex and a sports bra ever! But many of my outfits could go camping or for a hike with just a change of shoes. It's part of my lifestyle to be prepared for any opportunity to be outside. Plus I am not a disciplined gym class person at all, so I don't have defined moments of "yoga time vs. rest of life". But I may hike in the mountains, then go to the Rack or dinner or hang with a friend on the deck, all in the same outfit. These are usually shorts or capris, a tee, and shoes - I change into hiking boots in the car.

Today I am wearing the EF harem pants and a Ted Baker tee. I changed from dressy flats to sneakers at lunch and took the dog for a walk in the sun. The EF pants actually feel like gear to me, yet I could wear them to a fancy dinner, or camping, or the beach. Big win!

ETA: Lisa, you will never find me in a gym unless it's for my kid's basketball game or the rock climbing gym. I don't do classes or organized fitness. But I hike, walk, climb and ski regularly and I used to be a pretty good mountain biker. Second pic is camping and this raven mask is part of a whole in-joke.