You Better Werk

Photography: Michael Love | Styling: Gavin Mikey Collins

Even if you’ve allowed your gym membership to lapse, you can still rock activewear in your downtime. Comfortable, functional and casual, the latest workout gear has come a long way since the days of spandex and Jane Fonda tapes. And you’ll be glad to know that the same stuff you arranged in a flat lay on January 1st, which you posted with a 'New Year New You' hashtag, has much more longevity than your New Year's resolutions.

In fact, this year will see the word “athleisure” added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which means that wearing joggers outside of the gym is quite clearly a thing that’s going to stick around for a while.

However, the trend is more than simply wearing gym clothes as part of your everyday wardrobe, and true skill means actually marrying pieces in performance fabrics and athletic silhouettes with non-sporty stuff.

You want to create layered looks that are casual, yet considered, with big logos, bold colours and outfits that are built around your sneaker of choice.

And if you are actually going to be wearing the stuff to your next workout – even better! The new you deserves more than pit-stained, freebie T-shirts and sagging trackie bottoms.

The rules are simple. Got guns? Wear a vest. Need a warm-up jacket? The classic hoodie is always a winner. Socks should be soft, cool, odour resistant and shield your feet from moisture and blisters. If they make a statement while doing all of that – all the better! Now don’t carry around the type of bag that would be charged for excess weight. Your perfect gym bag should be as slim as your #bodygoals and simply needs to store that soon-to-be-sweaty shirt, shorts and shoes. And then, if you’ve got some money left over after splurging on killer sneakers, why not consider a fitness tracker, which will measure your heart rate, keep track of calories burned and dress up your wrist.

The best part of wearing casual clothing designed for exercising? When an obstacle does arise you can simply take it in your stride. No sweat.