Claire

Style and Sweat: The Most Fashionable Gym Clothes

We all know that staying motivated at the gym is one of the biggest obstacles to getting and keeping fit – well that, and photographs of the ridiculously fit Lucy Meck, which personally just send me reaching for the cake in a fit of depression

This is a completely girly thing to say, but one thing that makes me actually want to go to the gym is having nice gym clothes. And yes, by nice I mean somewhat ridiculous and garish.

I’ve been scouring the web for the most unique, fashionable gymwear around and here are my favourite picks…

Trainers

Gym 1Adidas / Nike / Nike

I used to have a friend who would wear ballet pumps to the gym. Ballet pumps. This would frustrate me beyond belief – as would the fact that she would proceed to take the slowest stroll ever on the treadmill while playing on her phone. Needless to say, I didn’t stay friends with such a ridiculous person.

Proper trainers are an absolute must at the gym to get the most from your cardio workout, and there are endless fun styles and colours to choose from. Trusty sports brand favourites Nike and Adidas are the ones to go for this in my opinion; and those peach ones actually make me want to weep little tears of happiness.

Leggings & Shorts

Gym 2Sweaty Betty / Sweaty Betty / Nike / Adidas

I find jogging bottoms too hot to wear at the gym, so prefer leggings or (if I’m feeling brave and have bothered to shave my legs) shorts. I’ve recently discovered the website Sweaty Betty, which specialises in women’s activewear and have some really fun prints and patterns. It’s definitely out of my price range – those stardust leggings, for example, will set you back £65 – but oh, so pretty.

Vests & Sports Bras

Gym 3H&M / Nike via Sports Direct / Adidas

I’ve got to confess, I wouldn’t actually wear just a sports bra to the gym. I know plenty of girls do, and to those girls I say ‘why must you parade your perfect stomachs in front of me while I’m sweating away like a hog?’ If I had one of those perfect stomachs though, then I admit I’d be tempted.

Brightly coloured sports bras still look great when worn under normal vests though, and Nike and Adidas have loads of pinks, purples and blues for you to choose from. My current fave for fun gym tops though has to be H&M. Some of their stuff borders on the seriously tacky… but I just kind of love it. This bronze metallic crop is one of the more subtle pieces – in store I’ve seen bright gold, plus heaps of leopard print (which of course I’m planning to buy).

What do you all think of this gymwear wishlist? How do you like to dress at the gym?

Claire

If I Was a Rich Girl: High Street Wish List

Writing a post like this is potentially one of the worst things I can possibly do to myself. I’ve just moved into a new house and am trying to come to terms with the fact that my wages now need to go on bills and rent rather than clothes – so the best idea was probably not to scour all of my favourite sites looking for things I would like the most. But hey, that’s blog dedication for you…

High Street Wish ListJuJu Jelly Shoes – Office

I’ve been fully embracing the 90s trend lately with crop tops, polo necks and dungarees – so of course the jelly shoes had to follow. I have to say I hadn’t heard of the brand JuJu before (researching jelly shoes wasn’t really top of my to-do list before…erm, today) but they’re a Northampton-based manufacturer of jelly shoes who have been in business for over 25 years (well done, JuJuians!)

These Vicky shoes are my favourite of their collection; I love the cutaway detailing, the selection of colours and – most importantly – the fact that they’re covered, meaning the public won’t be completely exposed to my vile toes. I think jelly shoes are a bit of an acquired taste – i.e. when I asked my boyfriend “Do you think these are hideous?” he spent no time trying to save my feelings and replied with a swift “Yes”. But la la la, I don’t care; I think they’re the perfect fun, summery shoe.

Adidas Originals T-Shirt – Adidas.co.uk

I’m not sure if I’m at all cool enough to pull off an Adidas Originals t-shirt (read: I know for a fact that I’m not) but I’m really tempted to try to incorporate it into my wardrobe. I have a vague intention of customising it into a crop, but then I remember my lack of success trying to sew a cushion cover in textiles class in school and think that maybe I’ll need adult supervision.

Acid Wash Denim Skater Skirt – Topshop

Who doesn’t love a skater skirt? They make you look all skinny at the waist yet allow you to devour a massive sandwich for your lunch and kindly hide the bloat for you. This acid wash denim-look skirt from Topshop is an on-trend update on the classic denim skirt (which I personally hope never rears its ugly denim head again).

Mesh Crop Top – Boohoo

I have far too many dresses that I’ve only worn once because they’re strictly ‘nightclub-only’, so it’s nice to find clothes that can be worn and re-worn in a variety of situations. I think this crop top will do just that. Night out with skater skirt and heels? Check. Trip to the pub with high-waisted jeans? Check? Daytime outfit layered over a longer top or dress? Check. Get your coat, Mesh Crop Top, you’re coming home with me.

Perspex Two-Piece Barrel Bag – Boohoo

Why would anybody want a see-through bag? I think this might be an example of me once again harking back to the 90s and thinking this bag is a reincarnation of my trusty Perspex pencil case in school. Because even though I know it’s kind of ridiculous, I really want one. The extra bag goes inside and hides all of the stuff you don’t want on display – expensive items, lady items and possibly weird items (I have been known to carry round boxes of Weetabix in my handbag) – which leaves you with the decision of what to leave on show in the transparent bit. I think I’d opt for a lipgloss and a Dostoyevsky novel, so that I looked like a well-rounded individual.

Sheer Panel Crop Vest – Topshop

Are you starting to notice how much I really like crop tops yet? Neon, sporty and cropped – this top deserves a good slap on the back for being so bangin’. I envisage myself wearing this with a black maxi skirt – and on that note, I am off to practice that theory where if you visualize something it will come to you. Ommmmmmm. It’s still not here.