Punch up your style with these essential athleisure-inspired pieces
Tennis star Serena Williams showing up in a bejeweled Gucci track top at the label’s spring/summer 2017 show in Milan last month wasn’t so much her setting a trend as flamboyantly underscoring it.
Fitness-inspired fashion — essentially glammed up versions of athletic gear — is popping up everywhere on the style landscape: Versace, during the same cycle of runway shows, clad its supermodels in luxe iterations of windbreakers and tracksuits in silks and jerseys.
The category sits at the intersection of sports and fashion: clothing that looks like you could work out in it but might not want to — or conversely pieces that will serve you at Pilates and CrossFit but could just as easily transition to brunch or a work meeting. Layering is key — a neat, semi-structured jacket to slide over a cropped top or a dress that can be tossed over those leggings. Look out for some sports-themed high-end accessories as well — such as cheeky sneakers on pencil heels.
Here are some fitness-fused fashions that caught our eye.
Shonagh Speirs, previously with Roland Mouret and Preen, founded her Austin, Texas-based athleisure-styled line, Being Apparel, this year. Key pieces include cropped kimono jackets and soft jersey dresses. Here, a fisherman’s trouser is $125, and kimono sports jacket $175, at beingapparel.com.
British label SukiShufu was created by yoga teacher Caroline White, who was seeking pieces that could transition from the fitness studio to the club. She eschews activewear motifs like mesh or graphics and instead opts for dramatic prints and textures. New to the collection is this gold-and-black velvet leopard patterned jogger. $195, at sukishufu.com.
The sophisticated bodysuit is shaping up to be a sports-inspired staple for fall. From Los Angeles-based label Hale Bob comes this “Izbel” stretch bodysuit with shine-textured leggings. $122, at halebob.com.
Pacific Palisades-based Shama Jade makes jumpsuits designed for workouts and nights out and anything in between. Layer this one, the Diamond Back Luxury jumpsuit, under a jacket or dress and throw on a pair of boots or heels. $189, at shamajade.com. Also, available at the Exhale Mind Body Spa in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica and at select Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton locations.
Irvine-based luxury brand St. John is soon to bow its inaugural St. John Sport offerings as part of its resort 2017 collection. The athletics-inspired pieces are a sophisticated yet casual component to the high-end label. Shown here are the Bianco/Caviar knit bomber jacket ($895), shell ($395) and pant ($395). Available starting Oct. 20 at stjohnknits.com and the brand’s Beverly Hills boutique.
From designer Tory Burch comes a Tory Sport line with pieces from what she describes as her “coming and going” collection — designed to be worn before and after a workout. These chevron-striped, wide-legged track pants ($150) are paired with a fitted track jacket ($165) overlaid with a performance merino side stripe sweater, $295; the slides are $80. All available at torysport.com.
Online retailer Carbon38 is known among fitness fiends for its vast offering of luxe, edgy workout gear. New to the website are standout pieces including this sporty Japanese crane silk embroidered bomber jacket ($425), which will be available Oct. 30.
And for men, it’s a Soar Running blue zipper-front rain jacket ($165). Also available at carbon38.com.
The “Josef” style, a hardy yet artistic boot from Los Angeles-based brand Konus, is made with black pebble leather and given a flourish of paint on the sole. $230, at konusbrand.com.
Don’t try hiking in these. From the Fenty Puma by Rihanna line comes this stiletto sneaker with an almost four-inch heel. It’s available in three colors: black, white and yellow. $600, at six02.com.
