If you’re someone who loves the comfort of joggers and leggings but also wants to look classy and put together, then this blog post is for you. In the following sections, you’ll find style tips on how to style athleisure and transform your leisure outfits into a more elevated everyday look.
You can incorporate all of these right away to style your athleisure outfits to create classy and put together looks.
8 Ways To Look Good In Athleisure Outfits
What Is Athleisure Outfits?
Athleisure outfits refer to a style of clothing that combines elements of athletic and leisure wear. The term “athleisure” is a portmanteau of “athletic” and “leisure,” reflecting the fusion of activewear features with casual, everyday fashion. Athleisure apparel is designed to be comfortable, functional, and suitable for various activities, both active and casual, making it versatile for different settings.
Key characteristics of athleisure outfits include:
Comfortable Fabrics: Athleisure clothing typically uses breathable and stretchy fabrics, such as spandex, polyester, or blends with cotton. These materials provide ease of movement and comfort, making them suitable for both exercise and casual wear.
Versatility: Athleisure wear is designed to seamlessly transition from the gym or fitness activities to everyday life. This versatility allows individuals to wear the same outfit for a workout and then continue with daily activities without the need for a wardrobe change.
Mix of Athletic and Casual Pieces: Athleisure ensembles often combine athletic pieces like leggings, joggers, or sports bras with casual items such as hoodies, jackets, or sneakers. This mix creates a balanced look that is both sporty and relaxed.
Emphasis on Functionality: While style is important, athleisure wear also focuses on functionality. Features like moisture-wicking, breathability, and quick-drying properties are common in these outfits to enhance performance during physical activities.
Adaptability: Athleisure outfits are adaptable to various occasions, from running errands and casual outings to low-impact workouts or activities. This adaptability is a key factor in the popularity of athleisure fashion.
The style was introduced to modern America which now spreads globally so men and woman can feel comfortable and have a way to multi task during the day where they can work and do physical activity together.
But somehow this suddenly has become the new normal where it’s ok to wear these athletic clothes for events that require more put together looks. And its totally unto individual taste, but if you are here you want to know how to dress better.
Reworking Your Existing Athletic Clothing
When it comes to athleisure, the key is to strike a balance between comfort and class. Instead of opting for extremely tight or excessively baggy clothes, consider pairing fitted bottoms with relaxed, structured tops. For instance, if you’re sporting leggings, balance them with a structured button-down shirt or a cozy, yet slightly loose, turtleneck or crew neck sweater. These tops add a touch of sophistication to your ensemble without compromising on comfort.
If you are picking fitted tops or shorter tops, instead of wearing leggings or biker shorts, pick wide leg joggers or wide leg shorts. This will balance your fit and make you look put together. It feels like you know what looks great with what. This is the basic style rule that you can follow at all times.
Pairing Athleisure With Classy Clothes
Athleisure outfits are typically made of athletic clothes like leggings, joggers, tank tops, gym shorts and so on. These outfits are in general very sporty and there is no way to make it look classy in this format.
You probably wear this exact outfit combo to the gym. But if you want to look elevated and classy in your athleisure outfit, its important to pair structured pieces with these athleisure clothes.
If you typically wear leggings, consider pairing them with a relaxed, structured button-down shirt or a relaxed fit turtleneck or crew neck sweater. These tops add a polished and sophisticated touch to your outfit. Additionally, you can pair tailored pants or leather pants with casual athletic tops to create a classy, elevated look.
This is an easy way you can create casual and elevated looks without sacrificing comfort. Structured clothing items have a way of bringing the entire outfit together.
Create Monochromatic Athleisure Outfits
Creating a monochromatic outfit with your favorite athleisure pieces instantly elevates your look, making it appear more cohesive and put together. This especially works well with loose fit athleisure clothes like joggers and sweats, adding a stylish flair to an otherwise casual ensemble.
The most common outfit would be an all black outfit. It instantly slims you. But it also makes you look put together and streamlined. If you cannot create any other other colored tonal looks, this would be the easiest to create.
But if you want to wear colors, you can also create chic monochrome looks. Checkout my step by step guide on how to create monochrome outfits.
You can create an all white tonal outfit with athleisure clothes that looks expensive and classy. Something that you will see all the rich folks wear.
But you can also create colored monochrome outfits to look put together and luxe. Simply pick similar shades of top and bottom. And if you have a similar shade of outerwear, then its cherry on top.
Add Elevated Outerwear To Athleisure Outfits
Choosing the right outerwear is pivotal in crafting a refined athleisure ensemble. Oversized blazers, quilted jackets, vests, and belted coats all contribute to adding structure and elegance to your look. These outerwear options ensure that your athleisure attire maintains a polished and classy appeal, even in colder seasons.
Pick blazers and cropped boucle jackets in the spring summer time to elevate your athleisure outfits. This way you look put together and comfortable.
In winter you actually have more options like belted wool coats, belted puffer coats and so on.
Wear Structured Footwear With Athleisure
When it comes to footwear, opt for simplistic, solid-colored sneakers in white or black, or even consider leather sneakers to add a luxurious touch to your ensemble. Additionally, exploring options like loafers, ballet flats, or slingback pumps can further contribute to a structured and sophisticated look, especially if you’re aiming for a classy athleisure style.
If you want to look put together and sophisticated in your athleisure outfits opt for styles of shoes that will elevate your looks. Skip the chunky multi colored running shoes and go form simple white leather sneakers or knee high boots depending on the vibe you are going for.
Add Classy Accessories To Your Athleisure Look
Integrating minimal yet impactful accessories, such as gold jewelry or a stylish cashmere scarf, can play a pivotal role in elevating your athleisure outfits. Additionally, a smart watch with a leather or gold band or a structured crossbody bag can further enhance the overall sophistication of your look.
In the winter you can add a wool scarf that will elevate your athletic outfit and also keep you warm. Scarfs instantly add a put together touch to your look. Checkout 9 modern ways to wear wool scarves.
And don’t ever forget the handy sunglasses. A good pair of flattering sunglasses always elevates any look.
Choosing the Right Clothing Brands
Investing in comfortable yet classy athleisure pieces from reputable brands like Lululemon and Spanx can provide the perfect balance of comfort and style. Wide-leg stretchy pants, crew neck or polo collar t-shirts, and versatile outerwear options such as oversized blazers, quilted jackets, or belted coats can transform your athleisure collection into a classy and sophisticated wardrobe.
Some of my favorite brands are:
Grooming for Elegance
Paying attention to grooming details, such as simple yet well-kept hairstyles and subtle makeup, can add an extra layer of elegance to your overall athleisure look. These small touches can convey a sense of self-care and sophistication, elevating your entire appearance effortlessly.
Sometimes when you don’t have time to dress up, these details elevate your outfits instead.
You don’t have to go overboard with loads of makeup, checkout a simple no foundation makeup routine that will give you a fresh face.
And if you don’t have time to do a full makeup, just do your eye makeup and a fun lipstick.
I hope these tips inspire you to elevate your athleisure outfits and strike the perfect balance between comfort and style. With these simple adjustments, you can rock a classy and put-together look while embracing the comfort of your favorite athleisure pieces.