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How Fashion Affects Fitness
Words Victoria Deborah
Marina Tatarenko; Shutterstock Does what you wear when you are working out really matter? The idea of beauty is constantly evolving and even more so in the fitness world. Personal Trainer, Victoria Deborah gives us the low down on how fashion really affects fitness and reveals her top 5 fitness brands that will make your fitness experience 10 times better.
Social media influencers joining the scene and being a brand ambassador have become a trend. The fitness and fashion world is rapidly colliding. Celebrities have also joined this trend with the likes of Beyoncé who has produced the highly sought-after Ivy Park. So, how does fashion really affect fitness?
Let us start with the fact that regardless of whether you are a fitness addict, the trend of wearing activewear both inside and outside of the gym is likely here to stay. Instead of picking up a simple jeans and top combo we all seem to be spoilt for choice in our selection of lycra leggings and gym tops. Why is that? We are all seeking comfortability, fit, and the ability to move freely.
The connection between fashion and fitness is quite simple, how you look correlates to how you feel. If you feel good you are most likely to want to go to the gym or do a workout. Studies show that clothes can have a profound systematic, psychological and behavioral consequences: might the robe of a priest make us more moral? Would a firefighter’s suit make us braver? Would wearing fitness clothes make us feel more fit? The researchers concluded that their results suggest that clothing does hold a strange power over their wearers.
We all want to feel good and most importantly look good but, in a world, where fitness clothes are so easily available and 10 or more sites are doing identical if not similar styles of clothing how do you find the best fitness wear for you?
Firstly, you will need to identify what it is that you do? Are you an active fitness person who’s fitness clothes need to be durable, practical yet affordable since you will constantly need to be changing your outfit or are you into other healthy activities such as yoga or the casual person who does some sort of physical exercise every now and then.
I fall into the category of the active fitness person. What I have found is that when shopping for fitness wear I look for practicality first. I know that I will be lifting heavy weights and doing workouts that require me to work hard, that doesn’t always look pretty in the end. I need my clothes to last the journey with me, so where others may see a cute fit wearing a complicated top and leggings - I will stay well clear from it. I look for more secure clothing, something that can hold everything up, that might mean sacrificing comfortability at times but whilst I am lifting that weight my clothes are the least of my worries.The last thing you want is to have a wardrobe malfunction whilst doing an overhead press.
We now have the new craze called the ‘Squat proof’ leggings. What does that even mean? It simply means that when we perform a move, such as a squat or one of the many yoga poses that cause our leggings to stretch across our bottom, others cannot see through to our panties or skin and your leggings don’t begin to slide down from your back or your bottom.
We all love the leggings with the extra tight band around the waist as it helps with the hour figure. Overall, you can tell if you have good “squat proof” leggings if you can perform a full squat and not have to pull/adjust your leggings afterwards.
If you are running or walking in moderate weather conditions, then your regular track pants, leggings or tights (or even shorts if it is summer) are perfect. See if you can find leggings that naturally regulate temperature and have a waistband then you have hit the jackpot.
If you love yoga then tops that are well fitted or something that is a little longer than usual because it will involve a lot of sitting, twisting, and moving up and down – you need something that fits well, and is not too revealing. It must be stretchable, but not something that rides up. Look for leggings that have a thicker waistband. For the upper body, wear tops or T-shirts that come with padded support.
Fashion and fitness go hand in hand, but the issue is understanding where to get it and what to get. This all depends on you. In the end you know what suits your body and what you deem as looks nice but most importantly your budget but i will give you my top 5 favourite fitness wear brands to have a look at.
My Top 5 Fitness Wear Brands
1. Nike
No list of gym brands is complete without mentioning the biggest sportswear brand in the world. A pioneer in its field, Nike is known for many things. It has always been front and center of sports culture. In terms of women’s fitness wear I have yet to find something I have not liked.
2. Gymshark
After an oldie we need to introduce a new comer and I must say this is my favorite and slightly biased as the owner of Gymshark is from my hometown of Birmingham UK but this brand I have been following before they became so big and their quality of clothing is amazing their co-ord set are the best and they have just introduced their new home/lounge sets that are amazing! The brand’s range is both stylish and comfortable and comes in at a very reasonable price point.
3. Fabletics
Fabletics is the activewear creation of actress Kate Hudson. While the brand at first looked very boring to me. The quality and comfortability of the
Fabletics wear is excellent! They also do the amazing subscription boxes that means you get a new gym item every month without the hassle of having to remember and search the internet for it.
4. Sweaty Betty
The British brand's famous Bum Sculpting leggings are a must-have. They have a swimwear collection and stylish outwear. Save money by purchase and a Fit Kit bundle, which includes a legging and workout tank of your choice, for less than buying each item separately.
5. PrettyLittleThing & Missguided
I guess that should be 5&6 but why I say both brands in one is that they are identical if not similar in the fitness wear collection with Missguided being on the slightly pricier side. Yet these brands have shocked me on their level of quality on a selective fitness wear, note that I said ‘selective’ they definitely have a lot of work to do but some of their current co-ords are one of my wardrobe best.
Here we have fitness and fashion go together. The answer is YES. Fashion is very much part of fitness.