Site navigation and social media links
Style, Fit, Performance, Quality - Fit Fashion For Your Consideration
Fashion & Beauty | August 12, 2015
What’s the most important things you consider when it comes to buying fitness apparel? Are you someone who buys cheap and doesn’t care because you’ll just get sweat stains on it and throw it away or do you take pride in your apparel and use cute workout clothes to sometimes help motivate you to get a good workout in?
I personally love new workout clothes and as I continue to work on my upcoming clothing line, I have given a lot of thought about the most important factors to consider when shopping for workout stuff. For me, I think it’s (in no particular order) the style, the fit, quality of material and performance.
When it comes to style and performance, some stuff looks really cute but when you actually work out in it, the button clasps come undone or the pants ride up your butt or the ties dangle in your way. When you consider quality of material you don’t always get what you pay for, I’ve bought stuff online from smaller boutique places, with a high price tag, but then when you get it, the material feels cheap and you know you’ll only be able to wash it like 5 times, if that, before you have to throw it away. Some Lorna Jane and lulu stuff I’ve had forever and I love it. It lasts through a million washes and I feel like it gets better with age, so sometimes it’s worth the price in my opinion. The fit is important too because clothes that are flattering, and you feel good in, help with confidence and make you want to wear them more often.
Here is some stuff I got recently, check it out and let me know what you think!
This is my new outfit from Titika. I think the bra is interesting because it looks more like a crop top. I’m not sure how much functional support it offers though, given that I don’t really need any support (my situation upstairs doesn’t really move much haha), so keep that in mind if you’re a lady that needs that extra support, then this bra may be better for fashion than function.
I like shape and style of the pants, and I think they do look really good, but the material is not the best of quality and it catches every hair, and every dust particle that you touch so if you have pets like me, you won’t be wearing them around the house unless you’re willing to spend some time cleaning the pants with the sticky roller. Also they do wrinkle quite a bit.
I like the way the bra looks in the back, however you can’t adjust the straps. The pants look cute with the back pockets and the buttons didn’t even bother me when I did my workout in them.
The back of the bra does look really good, don’t you think?
Here’s my new outfit from Elisabetta Rogiani, who I had the pleasure to meet in person. She’s an Italian designer based in L.A. who has created clothing lines for some of the leading fitness models and her apparel has been featured numerous times on the front covers of all the big fitness magazines. She’s crazy passionate and gave me some great ideas I can implement in my own clothing line and for that I’m thankful!
If I can give you an advice, do not get shorts with such a short inseam because you can’t workout in them. These look really great on pictures, but If I do a squat in them, you can see half of my rear end and I have to constantly be pulling them down, it’s distracting. The magic number for an inseam that will allow you to exercise without worrying about showing your butt is 3 inches. I would totally wear this outfit if I had an important photoshoot, but I had to get another pair of shorts from her that I can actually wear in my workouts.
This outfit is from a newer brand called YogaSmoga. The best thing about it is that it’s really comfortable to workout in. I like the material a lot but as far as the fit goes, the shorts are not very flattering for my butt, however the inseam is just right where I don’t have to keep pulling them down after a set of squats or burpees. You can see this outfit in action in my latest Arm Balance yoga workout.
The bra feels really good, it’s got a mesh material inside to help vent boob sweat and I like the shape of the top, but I’m not crazy about the design and the colors. I can’t explain what exactly it is that makes me feel that way… This outfit is really functional for my workouts because it does feel really good on your body, but it’s not my favorite style. It might just not be right for my body type, maybe I would like it better if I were taller! 😉 hahah
Private Member |
All of the outfits look super cute on you, but I definitely agree that fit and function are most important. I have found some great workout clothes at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. They have MPG, Reebok, and Nike along with some others. I can’t wait to see your line, Z. If you need someone to test them out, I’d love to help:-)
Private Member |
curitiba, parana, brazil
Hi Zu…I particularly loved first top and pants…color is wonderful and I love pants like that…really lovely. Second outfit is also very nice…but someone needs to have a nice body like yours to wear it…so I would not buy it because I am not that fit yet! 🙂 Last outfit seems to be comfortable but I did not like the colors and the matching, maybe I would wear this top with something else down or the shorts with other top. When I buy my fitness apparel, top should be with extra support, I do not like to feel some body party is shaking…hahaha. About shorts I like the ones that has a high waist or at least medium waist cutting so that it will cover the belly right above navel, I feel it is more comfortable and whole body looks better if your body is not in a very good shape. About pants I like half pants, loose for yoga and tight for normal workout. I prefer cotton fabric mixed with other materials but I avoid polyester and other fabrics that gives a horrible smell after few days. I usually do not spend much money on fitness apparel but I realized good clothes are expensive. If you prefer to buy cheap ones it is fine but they last lesser than expensive and branded fitness clothes. I love tracksuit sets and I need them because it is quite cold in the place where I live but it is difficult to find nice ones and they are very costly! 🙂 So that is it…see you, take care.
Private Member |
I love the first two outfits and esp the first crop top bra. But it looks better on Z than the website model, and I’m also flat chested like that girl so I probably wouldn’t get it. I’m so excited for the new workout line, bandage (strappy) style bras are my favorite with nice little cut out accents that help for ventilation. I’m also liking more cotton blends than all the spandex workout gear. My fav workout shorts are cotton blends.
Private Member |
on this same note…has anyone figured out how to get the putrid smell of old funk/sweat out of your gym clothes?!!!!
Private Member |
I use a little bit of white vinegar in my rinse cycle each wash.
Private Member |
I use baking soda in with my cycle.
Private Member |
well ladies, then i must be super gross because I have SOAKED my clothes in a vinegar/baking soda mix for hours and it still won’t come out!!! Ugh. I am a really bad sweater 🙁
Private Member |
qc, canada
For me the most important for fitness clothing is to get a good bra with extra support, which are particularly difficult to find for me (I have a small waist but big breast). Since I can’t buy bras in any stores in Canada, I researched online and found a website that specialize in my body type – bravissimo.com. It is from the UK and kind of expensive but so worth it. The tops and pants I usually buy at Winners, they have most big brands but half price.
Private Member |
My favorite clothes come from Target because they are cheap and functional. Price is very important to me. I also want them to last.
Private Member |
Me too. I check the clearance rack there also every month. I like that their workout clothes look nice too. All of that is important to me. I like the strappy sports bar with cut outs… Unique is good! I’ve bought workout clothes from Walmart which never fit as good and the material isn’t as flexible as I like. A variety of colors is a plus. There is always too much pink (always disliked the color!! Lol).
Private Member |
Me also. I would love to have some of these outfits, but I can’t afford them. 🙁 But that’s okay. I don’t even NEED a good sports bra for support. Haha.
Private Member |
balestrand, norway
The best supportive bras I’ve found are from lulu, always need them for jump rope workouts! Only annoying thing is the padding coming out each wash. But they have lasted through weekly washes for a couple years now and look and work great!
Private Member |
lulus quality has gone way downhill over the years, I still have a bra that I wear and wash from 7 years ago but the recent stuff I got from them has worn out within the year. I stopped buying them a couple years ago after all the crap see thru pants.
Private Member |
I agree, not to mention the style has also gone way down in my opinion. Everything just looks way conservative and not much ever fun or very on trend…patterns are booooooooring
Private Member |
I love the Elisabetta shorts in the front because of the slight v-shape. I get most of my height from my legs and wish my torso were a little longer. I also feel like my hips aren’t super noticeable. So these would be an awesome addition to my workout attire, for sure. Would definitely purchase from a zuzka brand. 😉
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
Since I am more into yoga, I got to view the wide variety of sports apparel in the area…and it is very wide variety. ..it looks a competition to the most intricated bra straps, sophisticated prints and cut-outs. To our (eye) pleasure of course, but money doesn’t follow. Also mostly they are not giving enough support for high impact Z gym workouts.
Private Member |
I also have pets and I can’t seem to find a pair of workout pants that look good and fit good but are also made from a fabric that doesn’t collect al the hair….