Fashion notes: Be a sport not a slouch with the best casualwear

Gym gear is a dangerous thing. Imagine a life free from zips, buttons, tight waistbands and vertiginous heels. Now, imagine a life spent roaming around in a constant state of comfortable bliss. Sounds ever so nice, doesn’t it? Blame Madonna and Gwyneth and her throng of gluten-free bendy types who hover around organic areas of Los Angeles in gym gear. They told us that it was OK.

I can hear you: “It’s practical ... I’m only cleaning up baby dribble six days out of seven.” ... “I work from home, nobody sees me unless I run out of milk.”

Now I get it. I really do. The whole thing sounds rather marvellous. But the truth is that we all know perfectly well that we’re categorised by our clothes. We know the importance of dressing well and we know its value, if not to anyone but ourselves.

Before you delve into your wardrobe and rejoice, listen up, for this laissez-faire idealism is not exactly as it seems. For starters, no matter how many downward dogs or inward 360 planks we do, most of us won’t look anywhere near as effortless as Gwyneth. If you are going to get this look right, it has to be the right kind of gym gear – ie not the old favourites that you reach to for an HBO box-set marathon. What we’re looking at here is urban streetwear – slouch-wear that does much more than it says on the tin.

As with most trends, this one is made more easily accessible with the use of clever accessorising: think mesh inserts, zip-up or high-top trainers, hoods, racer backs and go-faster stripes. There’s an element of urban 1990s street style to the trend – clean lines and a certain edge. What we’re dealing with here is an injection of old-school attitude.

Unfortunately, it matters what brand of casualwear you go for here. Look to Vanessa Bruno, Stella McCartney, Alexander Wang, Marni and Missoni, who all do it exceedingly well. Start with the fabric – look for fine, good-quality jersey in an array of bright colour schemes. Quality is worth the investment – and absolutely necessary when, ahem, “training” in a hot climate.

What we’re looking for is a clever mix of colour blocking and breathable fabrics. Synthetic fabrics, despite what we might think, are often the better choice, as they have been specifically engineered to be lightweight and breathable. Cotton, on the other hand, will only absorb moisture and become uncomfortably heavy. The experts would say stick to fabrics such as Lycra, polypropylene or spandex, as they’ve been built to last.

Think about layering. Start with a tightfitting, supportive vest before adding a slightly oversized coloured or patterned T-shirt. Stick to trousers in a fine fabric so that they hang well on the hip, and taper at the ankle for a more flattering cut. I hope that I don’t need to tell you that any kind of make-up or decoration is absurd.

See what I’m doing? I’m slipping down the very slope that I’m talking about and forgetting what gym gear was made for in the first place – breaking a sweat, playing sport, not hanging out on your sofa or swanning around a mall.

Lastly, be careful that you don’t go overboard – it’s possible to dip in and out of the look without going the whole hog. You don’t want to look like you are playing a role – there’s nothing more cringe-inducing than those with all the gear but no idea.

[ ktrotter@thenational.ae ]