Did you think that athleisure wear and athletic pants were just for the gym and errands? Throw on the right jacket and it works for lunch dates and casual date nights out. A few simple tricks of the trade can turn your athleisure wear into a fun date night outfit.
Opposites really do attract! Recently I posted a few pictures on Instagram in outfits I put together for an athletic look. The comments inspired me to write this blog. There are many pieces of clothing in my closet that I have owned for years. One of the reasons that I have hung on to them is that I enjoy recreating ways to wear them. The benefit of this is not spending money and feeling like I have something new to wear. Stretching my imagination, I started pairing unexpected pieces together. For example, a buffalo plaid jacket and a long black skirt, or a graphic tee shirt and a glittery skirt. The newest fashion juxtaposition I tried and found successful, was wearing track pants with a dressy jacket.
I’m not a conservative person when it comes to dressing. I like to express my personality or how I’m feeling with what I’m wearing. I am however frugal, and I do not like to make unnecessary purchases nor buy something to only wear it once. Thus, the reason for writing about wearing workout clothes outside the gym.
The first rule of thumb here is to not look like you just left the gym.
With all the cute workout clothes we see it is perfectly fine to wear them while running errands during the day. What I’m trying to show you is that if you make an investment in a good quality pair of work out pants it’s easy to find another way to style them. In doing so, you can wear them somewhere other than the gym or the grocery store after your work out.
In the pictures below, I took a pair of black track pants/leggings put a black net top over a white tank, and added a white and black Elie Tahari jacket. I liked how this looked and I liked the fact that it did not expose too much skin. I would wear this to lunch with the girls or a casual dinner date with my husband.
Below are a few other examples on how to turn your casual athletic look into a new outfit
Drawstring pants with a sweater tucked in front
Black leggings with a leopard tank and a cozy cardigan
Track pants pants with a sequin tank and a bomber jacket
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Leggings with a long tunic blouse and Blazer
A zip up jacket with a workout bra underneath
I hope I have inspired you to take another look at your work out clothes and try styling them into a new looks. Also, try to keep in mind to ways to shop smart and purchase pieces that can be worn several ways.
Great looks Nancy! I especially love the perfectly coordinated outfit with the black net over the white tank top.
Thanks Debi, A friend gave me that mesh tank and I thought I’d never wear it, but over a tank and under a jacket seemed to work didn’t it! LOL
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Nancy
You are probably the best dressed at the gym! I love the outfit and I have those sneaker espdrilles too! I do have a pair of grey light leisure pants ( like your black ones) and thought about styling them.. I love your look and those metallic pumps are gorgeous! I think it is fun to try new combinations to dressing and experiment! The silver tank is lovely too!
Hope you are having a great weekend!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
In honesty Jess, I’m not the best dressed at the gym. Maybe if I invested in better workout clothes I could. Now on the golf course, that’s a different story…I like thinking outside the box when it comes to getting dressed. Since I know longer work I do not need to spend money on clothes that I won’t be wearing often. I’m having fun reinventing looks with clothes that I already have.
My Best,
Nancy
Love this post! Great ideas for making these workout pieces stretch! You look amazing my friend!
Good morning Terri,
Thank you for reaching out to me and telling me that you found my article informative.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Nancy