MADE FOR MOVEMENT
Four pieces to stuff in your gym bag now.
A STATEMENT JACKET
Christian Dada is rather a left-field inclusion in a list of performance sportswear. Then again, so is the edgy Japanese label’s capsule collection with nostalgic Italian sportswear label Kappa – as well as its decision to use Nishijin-ori, a labour-intensive premium fabric traditionally reserved for making kimonos, on a ‘90s-style track jacket. But Dada designer Masanori Morikawa has always been interested in juxtaposition and combining seemingly disparate elements in a single garment. An unconventional postworkout cover-up that won’t go unnoticed as its wearer sits around sipping a smoothie.
A PERFORMANCE TOP
Techmerino, as the name suggests, is a high-performance natural fabric, made from pure Australia merino wool. It’s specially treated for maximum softness and comfort, whilst utilising merino wool’s unique hygroscopic properties to regulate body temperature and humidity in response to changing climates. Ermenegildo Zegna’s Techmerino shirt retains the wool’s natural breathability and lightness, and its versatile design means that it’s just as stylish during a high-intensity workout as it is when one is crossing continents 40,000 feet in the air.
COMFY SHORTS
It might be tempting to dismiss Lululemon as “yogawear for hipster moms” but these shorts are engineered for peak performance. Made of what the brand calls “Swift Ultra” fabric, it is sweat-wicking, lightweight and features a “four-way” stretch so the garment always keeps its shape, no matter how many washes it undergoes. Built “with sweat in mind”, the Canadian athletic wear company has designed the quick-drying linerless shorts to stay comfy through all that stretching and lunging.
TIGHTS WITH A PURPOSE
Compression tights are designed to hold and support muscles during a workout, improve blood circulation, enhance performance and efficiency, and reduce recovery time. Under Armour’s new Perpetual Superbase tights are constructed to do even more with their strategically placed Power Print strips, which aim to increase the wearer’s awareness of the muscles being worked. Stretchy strips aside, these leggings are made of smooth fabric with sweat-wicking qualities.