DOES YOUR GYM KIT SHAPE UP?
NEW Year, new you... same sweaty old gym kit? Well that just will not do. There may be those who argue that splurging what little cash you have left after the festive period on Lycra items that you will probably wear half a dozen times, is crazy.
But when the high street is drowning in discounted sparkly dresses and tops, their sad sequins trickling onto the shop floor, refreshing your workout gear feels productive not profligate.
Granted, a flashy new pair of Lululemon leggings won’t magic away the Baileys and mince pie binge most of us dedicated the last days of December to, but you will feel a whole lot more motivated to move in them than you will in a pair of bobbly old jogging pants.
That’s not to say you need to spend a fortune on workout wear. Kitting yourself out head to toe in Fendi might cost more than your annual gym membership, but there are plenty of reasonably priced, yet stylish, activewear lines out there.
And never more so than at this time of year.
The most obvious place to start is the dedicated sports brands: Nike, Puma, Adidas, Reebok.
Their pieces are stylish yet technically savvy so a good choice for the year-round fitness fan, rather than January joiners.
The kit isn’t super expensive and is built to last. Expect to pay between £20-£80 for leggings, while sports bras fall between £20-£35. You can pick up major discounts on branded sportswear though at the likes of mandmdirect. com, Sports Direct and TK Maxx.
If fashion is your priority when it comes to working out... and you are young enough and body confident enough to get away with skimpy, bright kit, Missguided, Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and a host of other online fast fashion specialists will sort you right out with bargain buys from £10-£25, usually modelled by various Love Island veterans.
I can’t guarantee the kit will last much longer than your fitness resolutions, but it looks hot.
On the high street Primark has once again teamed up with Instagram fitness favourite Alice Liveing. Her 44-piece collection costs from just £3.50, and I have it on good authority from a fitness fanatic colleague that it is well up to the job.
Likewise, most supermarkets (see George, left) offer activewear ranges that won’t break the bank but still look smart.
If money is no object, P.E. Nation is the current A-list gym label of choice, loved by the likes of the Kardashians, while Sweaty Betty is great if you’re ACBN (any colour but neon), Victoria’s Secret is showy but supportive and Adidas by Stella McCartney is probably the best marriage of fashion and fitness function I have seen.
If I could justify blowing the budget, I wouldn’t just work out in Varley kit, it would be my off-duty uniform.
The LA/Londonbased brand’s snakeprint leggings alone (£55-£78) are worth working up a sweat for but would look equally good when you’re just grabbing Saturday brunch with your girlfriends. Talk about #squatgoals.