Advertisement

Knockouts for the gym and beyond

Share
Times Staff Writer

IT’S not always the lure of six-pack abs or the promise of lower triglyceride levels that propels people to work out. Sometimes it’s the clothes.

Colorful, fashionable designs in comfortable, moisture-wicking fabrics make the current crop of men’s and women’s workout wear something to look forward to.

A great new outfit can be an incentive two ways: It can propel a person into the gym when motivation is waning, and it can be a reward for getting in shape.

Advertisement

Styles have gotten hipper and, in some cases, closer to street clothes.

The influx of hot ready-to-wear designers such as Stella McCartney (designing women’s styles for Adidas) have vaulted workout wear into high fashion.

Also setting trends are more stylish uniforms worn by Olympic athletes in recent games.

It’s a radical change from a few years ago, when gyms were filled with people wearing plain, loose-fitting T-shirts and baggy sweat pants.

Synthetic fabrics such as nylon, Lycra and blends offer more stretch and dry faster than cotton, leaving clothes less soggy from sweat and lending themselves to more form-fitting silhouettes.

For men, T-shirt graphics are bold, as in Afroman’s retro motifs, or Elmer Ave.’s grungy distressed designs.

There’s even a hint of military, with Puma’s camouflage training shoe.

At Lululemon Athletica, the Canadian-based company that produces yoga-inspired styles for men and women, “clothes are designed to add a little more that inspire people to work out,” says Santa Monica store manager Kerry Brown.

Long-sleeve women’s tops feature thumb holes that prevent the sleeves from riding up, while some tanks have crisscross or cutout backs. Colors include cherry, orange and grass green.

Advertisement

“The fusion between sports and fashion is very obvious,” says Bill Sweeney, head of global apparel for Adidas. “It used to be that if you were going to work out and you put on a holey T-shirt, it didn’t matter. But the gym is a place to meet people, and if you’re going to do that and work out, you want to look good.”

Advertisement