I am a year round fitness person hence my screen name of Staysfit, which has a fashion meaning as well, which is why I chose it. In any case, I participate in multiple activities, weight lifting, Pilates, running, rowing, hiking, swimming, snowshoe, skiing, paddle board, yoga, etc. I do most everything at home but do travel to the gym for weights and to use their Concept II rowing machine since we sold ours. The most flexible way to dress is in layers. I have three lengths of bottoms. Long, thigh length and 7/8. All are compression style. They work for every activity except for winter outdoor, and for that I have a second layer to wear over the long, either water resistant ski pants, or one pair of thick fleece lined long compression for outdoor hiking and running which either goes over a thin pair of silk long johns or stands alone. I exercise 6 days a week, so the number of bottoms I have of each length goes according to the frequency I can do laundry. I personally have 5 pairs of each length. It’s more than most would need, but I only have time for laundry twice a week. It allows for me to wash some and wear the remaining while the others are hanging dry. For tops, I have two types, tanks and long sleeve with Henley style zippers. Most often if I am going to be inside working out, I wear the tank tops. The Henley zips are nice in cool weather because I am often cold when I start a workout, and then I undo the zipper once I get warmed up. I also have 4 of each type of top. I have two wind jackets to wear over the top of everything. One is for to and fro, has a hood, and is long enough to cover my bottom, maybe 30”. The other is to keep me warm when I am working out, so it’s a workhorse item. I wear it if it’s raining out when I run, so it is also water resistant. I have polar fleece vests, and two neon reflective vests. The polar fleece may be hard to find, I don’t see many people with them, but I love them. They are by far my most used item, and most durable as well. Mine are 12 years old! They are perfect transitional weather gear. They always add warmth without too much bulk and without obstructing movement. They are the perfect item worn over a long sleeve Henley top. For outdoor snowshoe, or hiking I have two down vests and I pair them with one of two long sleeve polar fleece jackets. For very cold days I do have merino wool long johns. I have rarely used them. I like long my long lightweight NF jacket for walking, and hiking. It’s not as good for skiing because it doesn’t have elastic gussets at the arms. I worry it will rip even though it is loose. I have some well fitting exercise bras. I like heavy support even though my chest is small. As a runner I worried about all the bouncing, and so far I think it was a wise decision. I have an ample supply of my favorite sneakers and socks. I have two pairs of bike shorts. I am not a big fan of riding my bicycle here because it’s too hilly, but I do have my bike on a trainer in the basement. I have two one piece swim suits mostly because I was able to find some long torso suits on Amazon that fit for a good price. I have reflective hats and gloves for early morning walks and also a flashlight. I look for reflectivity on my sports gear because I do go out on local roads. Finally, I have two longish casual sporty cardigans that I can throw on over any of my exercise gear and they look good. I can go out shopping to the local grocery store, or to a diner after a workout, and feel okay wearing them.
When you look for exercise clothes, the most important thing is going to be whether something fits you well. It doesn’t matter what brand. I look for whatever has the least number of seams possible. Seams are always a problem because they can rub and chafe with repetitive motion. Working out and most exercise involves repetitive motion. The other fit issue I have had is when tops creep up when I’m doing things like downward dog, or when I am running. I don’t like to tug my tops down. I like a long top that stays down. I like items that are clingy, stretchy and form fitting. I also make sure existing seams are not going to be in places that cause problems for me, and that they are smoothe, covered, etc. That’s my personal preference. I prefer compression style bottoms because anything loose or baggy can get caught in Equipment and also rides up when I run or else it does that when I turn upside down in Yoga or Pilates. I tend to purchase whatever color top is brightest because I run and want to be very visible when I am on the road. I wear the bright colored tops to the gym, and ignore anyone who glances my way. I am there for the Equipment not my color choices. My gear choices are very practical and functional. I do not pick pretty prints, or patterns. I pick solids. My bottoms are typically black or grey. The cardigans are the only stylish items and they do cover the bright tops and look nice. That is where my biggest investment of style thought was spent, the rest was really about how well the items work in practice. You may have different needs. For example, for a long time I ran in skirtsport skirts and skirtedleggings. They were very comfortable and met my needs better than regular shorts or compression shorts and leggings. If I were still running long distances, I would use them, but for the shorter distances I run now, the shorts are fine.
It takes time to figure out if something is going to work, so I wouldn’t purchase more than one of anything until you have had a chance to test it out. Fortunately the styles of active wear do not change much, so if something works the chances are good you will be able to find it again.
The other thing is that it’s expensive. I wash mine in cold water, add vinegar to help eliminate odors, and hang everything to dry. It lasts a long time that way. For sneakers, if they get wet, stuff them with newspaper, and leave them to dry overnight. It works for me. They are always dry and ready to use again. If I forget to stuff them, they will be soggy.
