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out and about in your active wear

Sally

Veteran

We had a training day today with staff only and were asked to dress for walking so I went in my yoga leggings and sneakers. It wasn't a walk (well it wasn't my idea of a walk.....more like a stroll). I changed into jeans and boots when I got back and a colleague said "oh you've had a change of clothes." I said "I"m not staying in my yoga pants all day." He laughed at me as if I was a bit weird. Before I would have felt comfortable in my yoga pants all day, but I don't even like to go into shops in my exercise gear these days. How do other people feel about it? I am someone who is definitely on team casual too.

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34 replies

Latest reply was from Sally

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I'm also on Team Casual, but I don't wear exercise wear unless I am working out. Tome, it's practical and serves a purpose,but it isn't particularly comfortable or stylish. I woukd ratger change multiple times than be caught in public in my gear.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I’m from the US, so I think workout wear is everyday wear. When we moved to South Tampa a decade ago, I was impressed at all the moms in coordinated workout gear at school drop off every morning. I’d rarely seen anyone actually wear those outfits before (I lift weights and swim, had done a little yoga by then, but wasn’t paying attention to what people wore at yoga class).
In Berlin, I wear workout gear in my way to & from PT. I also put it on some days in an effort to get myself to remember to work out, and wind up wearing it to the grocery. Those are not things Germans do.
I don’t care what anyone else wears

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

CS, if your workout wear isn’t comfortable, it isn’t right.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Fashintern, I just find a well fitting pair of jeans more comfortable than stretch pants- both physically, and psychologically.

Sally

Veteran

@chewyspaghetti. I am the same. I find my yoga pants very comfortable for wearing to do yoga and for walking in the park but I feel undressed in other situations. Even though my jeans were skinny, they felt more together and modest.
@fashionIntern. I don't care what other people wear either but he questioned me as to why I would change out of it.

Sal

Veteran

Interesting - what people notice.

I mostly just wear my gear to exercise except for the occasional weekend day that might have a variety of activities in it (eg walk with friend, bike to watch sport, walk to local shops etc..) In that case I usually choose particular leggings that feel better for being out and about.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

You and I don’t care, but apparently your coworker did. I think it’s weird that he noticed/cared what you had on.

Anonymous

I've done what I call "half-leisure", 1 piece of gear with the rest of the outfit normal clothes. So gear leggings, tunic, booties or gear tank, wrap skirt, sandals.

When I go paddleboarding or hiking outside my neighborhood, I wear gear skorts so if I go anywhere on the way home it feels a little more "normal."
ETA- I live quite a ways from everything, so once I'm home I don't go out again!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I will sometimes stay in my gear all day, but usually if I am working from home and want to make sure I get in a good walk/run, or I plan to do some active or messy home chores (taking a gardening break, cleaning, etc). I’ll also happily run a couple of errands in my gear on the way home from a workout. It’s super common around here so no one ever bats an eye, and my workout gear is certainly comfortable enough physically.
That said, I would rather be dressed in real clothes to be out and about. But it’s often a waste of time to finish a run or a bike ride (I often drive to trails for these activities), drive home, shower and change and then go back out, when the grocery store, etc, would be a quick stop on the way home. If I lived in a city or in an area where it was safer to bike everywhere, I might do differently, but around here too many cyclists on the roads die at the hands of distracted drivers.

kkards

Veteran

I’ve become more ok with wearing gear out and about, BUT and this is a big BUT...for work events, for me, unless we are actually working out i feel gear isn’t what i want to be seen in. I would have done what you did, brought a change of clothes and changed after the activity.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Yeah, I can’t imagine going to work in gear in any of the jobs I’ve had — even the radio station where no one could see me! One day I went to do my shift and discovered that a local news photographer was going to be shooting us, so I’m glad I always dressed professionally (for the job at least, it was very casual!).

Bijou

Veteran

I always get changed out of my gear and most definitely would have done the same thing as you and brought a change of clothes for a work function.

Murph11

Veteran

I only wear gear for my (sweaty) workouts. If I had gear-for-leisure-only, I might wear it all day, but the fact that I own zero in 2021 is a good sign it’s not my preferred look.

RobinF

Veteran

I am team casual too but I am more likely to wear jeans than workout gear. My workout clothes are leggings and tees and I don't find the leggings comfortable for hanging out in.

smittie

Veteran

I am team casual and in 2020-21, I started wearing leggings out and about, usually with a coat and nicer shoes. I prefer cotton leggings over poly/nylon.
The change occurred mostly because I gained weight but also because I think I look better in leggings.

Sisi

Veteran

I wear active wear only for exercising (or to go to the physiotherapist, or for a massage). I would have done like you. Of course there can be some exceptions as Janet mentions. I understand that sportsweear is very comfortable and many people nowadays wear it for going out and about, but I cannot get myself to do so. I always feel a little frumpy.
Small anecdote. A few weeks ago I took a long walk from the suburbs (where I live) to the beginning of the town where my dear 90 years old friend lives. I decided to pop in for a coffee (she loves to offer me coffee when I visit her). While I was there her doctor came for a visit. I was not happy to be caught in exercise clothes! Thanks Heaven, I thought, that at least I always put on makeup!

slim cat

Veteran

I can do some errands in my hiking pants but would change from my leggings ( worn mostly for PT and such ). I may need longer layering pieces to wear over leggings to feel more myself ( jeans - that's me as well ).
In general I'll ignore dress/clothes comments from unknown people but might try to explain to my co-workers the reasoning for the outfit.

Isabel

Veteran

I am also team casual....and I don't wear yoga pants for anything. Not even yoga. LOL but I wouldn't want to stay in my exercise clothes. I HATE wearing my hiking boots anywhere accept hiking.

I think it's especially true when you wore those clothes on purpose to exercise. Not to work. I have seen people "dress" up yoga pants a bit and they look good running around. And I am a tech fabric fan. FWIW, I think you made the correct call.

Echo

Veteran

I make a point of buying the BRIGHTEST, LOUDEST workout gear I can find because it makes me happy and keeps me motivated. However, that also makes it uncomfortable to wear elsewhere. I absolutely would have changed, too. Black gear I can get away with for casual affairs, but I don't really wear black gear (the only category of clothing I don't prefer in black!).

JAileen

Veteran

I guess I wear gear all the time. In the winter I wore nylon hiking pants everyday, and now that it’s warm, I’ve started wearing skorts. Right now, I’m wearing Patagonia baggie shorts and a tee. I was working out in the garden. Am I going to change? If I had a doctor’s appointment I would. If I were going to the nursery for plants, no, I’d go as is.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

When I read this post this morning, I was deciding whether to go with workout clothes or loungewear. I chose flannel pants. Now it’s nearly 7 pm and I’m trying to decide if I am going to put on workout clothes or just do it tomorrow. Not that wearing workout clothes always pushes me over that edge, but I might be closer.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

An aside, but relevant to the topic. Of course I always prefer to be dressed for whatever I’m doing on a given day. However...

One day in winter 2019/2020, one of my BFFs called me when I was out finishing up a run. She was making an impromptu two-hour drive to pick up a bunch of lunch items at the Wegmans hot food bar to deliver to our other BFF who was recovering from cancer surgery. She wanted to know if I wanted to come with her. I ignored the fact that I was wearing my gear and turned my car around so I could go join them for lunch and an afternoon of chatting and spoiling our friend.

We did not know it at the time, but that would be the last time we got to see our friend before she went into hospice and passed away. So I am forever thankful I didn’t let the lack of wearing the “right clothes” prevent me from taking that very special opportunity. I’m sure she didn’t give a hoot that I was wearing leggings and a workout jacket.

Echo

Veteran

Janet, I am so sorry about your friend. I wholeheartedly agree that clothing should not keep us from living! I, too, would not have turned down an opportunity to see a friend based on clothing alone. I am glad you took that opportunity, and it's a powerful lesson for everyone.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

What Janet said!

But to actually answer Sally's query, how I feel about it depends on my mood at the moment, I think, as well as my surroundings. If this were a work scenario, I would definitely have changed into something else, casual training day or no.

Style Fan

Veteran

I only wear my workout/gear clothes to Yoga and for hiking. However, if I were at a Yoga class and had errands to do on the way home, I would be wearing Yoga clothes.

kellygirl

Veteran

I would have changed too! This is one aspect of my fashion persona that I wish I could change. I think wearing workout gear in public is totally fine but I can't seem to do it. On me and to me, it just looks wrong--but I'm sure no one would bat an eye.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

It’s so funny how we can dislike how we look, even if we realize no one else is looking! That’s how I felt about some shoes I tried in recently, no matter what anyone else said.

Janet, I’m so glad you went to spend the time with friends!

DonnaF

Veteran

We shop at Trader Joe’s at 8 a.m. when it opens. I like to exercise either before or after breakfast. TJs is my one exception for going out in ugly gear which for me is REI hiking pants. Now I feel like I am going out in cognito due to my mask, but at the point when I go out mask free I may break down and wear real clothing and put up with the hassle of an outfit change. It’s the shoe change and getting the laces right that’s my biggest barrier.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, and invariably, when I show up at Whole Foods in my worst workout clothes, that’s when I will run into someone I know. Every. Time.

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