The Sweats That Changed My Mind About Sweats
Sporty Chic: A Stylish Sweatshirt…
The appeal of “athleisure” fashion has mostly been lost on me. I’m not a gym rat or SoulCycle devotee, and for the most part, athletic inspired clothing just brought back bad memories of high school gym class. Sweats especially. Bulky and unflattering, they seemed to me to have no redeeming qualities.
Earrings (similar) | Hoodie | Pants | Shoes
Fast forward to 2020, and with many of us mostly staying at home, comfort takes the wheel. A few weeks ago, I started seeing rave reviews about the Vuori joggers. I ordered a pair on a whim and yes, they were All That. Lightweight, comfortable, and even reasonably flattering.
Joggers | Vest | Mask
I loved the color, so decided to try the matching hoodie sweatshirt. Also a winner. It’s lightweight, not bulky or oversized, and is refined enough that I’d feel quite comfortable wearing it out and about with jeans or trousers.
In fact, I even added a silk scarf for a a breezy evening walk recently, and gym class never crossed my mind!
I’m wearing size Small in both the hoodie and joggers.
These pieces are machine washable, and come out of the dryer looking like new. You still won’t find me hanging out at the gym, but I will occasionally be dipping a toe into Sporty Chic, even after we’re released back into the wild.
For those who have asked about budget-friendly silk scarves, I’ve found some nice ones…
Do you incorporate “athleisure” pieces as part of your everyday style?
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You look great Susan—comfy but stylish. I checked out the website and couldn’t find a size chart. Would you mind sharing what size in the hoodie and joggers you’re wearing? The length on the joggers look good even though they don’t come in petites.
Hi Rose, thanks! I’m wearing a Small in both.
Ok it’s official…… You look absolutely radiant in red! First that adorable red blouse and now this red sweatshirt. It just makes you look so vibrant and happy…… LOVE it!!!!
Big discussion about this on the Travel Fashion Girls facebook group. The focus was on petite or short friendly joggers, and Vuori got rave reviews. So did Lululemon 7/8 on the fly pants. I decided to buy the On the Fly knockoffs on Amazon. I love them BUT “petite” just means short. They are not all over petite and I have to roll the waist band for the right fit. On the other hand, the style doesn’t scream Jogger and could be worn as part of a travel capsule wardrobe.
I like the hoodie but on the model it looks pretty cropped. I’m 5’8″ and dislike cropped lengths (which are everywhere). On you the hoodie doesn’t look cropped … I’m guessing you’re not 5’8″
Hi Lianne, no, I’m 5’1″. 😉
I have the joggers too and love them! They stay soft even after several washings.
We have a good athleisure brand based here in Montréal, Lolë: https://ca-fr.lolelife.com/collections/women-new-arrivals I kept our local setting, but you can view it in either French or English, and there are Canada, US and Europe settings for prices. It has quite an extensive size range from XXS to XXL.
Rhonda, it just sounds as if you need a smaller size, perhaps XXS? Petite in that sense refers to height, not girth. There is XXS petite (short) and petite plus as well.
I also like some of the items at prana, a California-based site that has many items suited for travel. They also have quite a few skirts and dresses, which pleases me. At the time they only had straight sizes (think from XS to XL) but now they have a plus range as well, (the sizes seem on the large side). Some of the advantages of this type of clothing is that it is easy to wash and quick-trying, and some of the synthetic ones are made from recycled polyester, and it doesn’t have that nasty plastic and sweaty poly feeling at all. No, they won’t replace silk or cashmere, but can be useful in a wardrobe.
And Susan is wearing a colour that suits me as well! Though I’d pair that red with the charcoal grey.
I live in my Vuori joggers and hoodies. I’m 5’5″ and get the small but the length is a bit short. I also have the Align Lululemon joggers. Their length is a bit better but the fit isn’t quite as wonderful as the Vuori. I might try the medium size just to see if they’d be better length wise.
I have four Vuori zip-front hoodies and I love them. As Susan and others pointed out, they are very soft and wash beautifully. The joggers fit great and I really wanted them but they were too short in the size I needed (medium). I am 5′ 6″ (almost!). I wish they came in a longer length.
You do look great in the style and the color…truly a new woman. I do not own a modern sweat suit, but perhaps you have convinced me to consider it when fall rolls around. It would be too hot for Texas right now. Lookin’ good, my friend.
Hi, I love my Vuori joggers! The fabric is smooth, soft, and substantial. Washes, and dries impeccably. For reference, I’m 5’7”, 155, and wear a size large. They are rather cropped on me. I bought the indigo, and the color is rich and beautiful. Pretty great all around!
My husband has owned some of their shorts for several years, and they still look great after many wash and wears with no special care. My stylish but practical 29 year old son owns two pairs of their pants, and calls them his favorites.
Love love love those red joggers…….but the red ones are not available from Nordstrom Canada and Vuori doesn’t ship outside the U.S. Pretty unhappy about that.
The hoodie is much too short for a tall girl but you look great in it Susan.
Lovely color for you, Susan. I seldom wear anything but jeans on the bottom, like American Giant sweatshirts; I’ll look into this brand new to me. Thanks.
P.S. Why do sweats attract grease stains so hard to get out!
HELLO!
I HAVE THOSE YELLOW MUSTARD SHOES IN ORANGE AND LOVE THEM!WAS AT A SOCAIL DISTANCING EVENT WITH TWO OTHERS LAST WEEKEND AND SHE TOO HAD YOUR GOLD/MUSTARD COLOR ON!!!
I think I NEED THEM!
I DON’t wear the TRADITIONAL LEISURE WEAR EITHER…….but I think YOU KNOW THAT!
HOPE YOU ARE WELL…………HAVE YOU SNEEKED A PEEK AT SANDRA’s INSTAGRAM AND HER IGTV MOVIES ON SKINCARE AND MAKE-UP!!!!!!!!!???
I am THRILLED FOR HER…………..
Yes, she’s been doing an outstanding job with those videos!
Who is Sandra? The videos sound interesting. Also, just ordered the red joggers today. I had gotten the black in a size XS which sort of fit but I think I want more room. The red in Small were out of stock for a bit. So happy they are back in stock. Fingers crossed they fit!
Cara Contessa, please don’t write in all-caps. Cattivo gusto.
That’s her style, if you read her blog it’s how she writes. 😉 It’s OK by me.
It’s your blog, not mine! I’ve worked too many years as a translator and copy editor/sub-editor.
You look great in all these photos. I would be very comfortable wearing those outfits out for casual days. I do like incoperating athleisure with casual clothes. Keep all your ideas coming! The new options available are fun. I do prefer zip up hoodies. Then I don’t look ridiculous when I take off the hoodie when I’m out. Hair 😉
You look adorable in your mask!
Hi, I love your transformation/taste/recommendations. What size are you wearing, please, in the camel Chico pants?
Ordering online is challenging, so knowing the size might help since I think we may have a similar build.
Thank you.
Hi Trace, thanks! I’m 5’1″ and am wearing the 0 Petite in Chico’s sizing (corresponds to 4/6P).
Susan, is that the Melon Heather color you’re wearing? It looks more like “tomato” on you and you look stunning in it. The color on the website looks distinctly more coral. Thanks!
Yes, the Melon Heather. It’s a bright coral IRL.
Thank you!
These look great. Are the joggers lightweight enough to wear in the summer?
I think that depends on where you are and what you’d be doing. For being out and about during the daytime, probably a little warm. But for cool mornings and evenings they’d be comfortable.
I have sort of flattering joggers in blue which you will see at the end of tomorrow’s blog post. But I prefer them longer. That is probably because all trousers were too short when I grew up (long legs and no money to buy a more expensive pair). A hang-up.
But like you I tend to wear this athletic gear as little as possible.
Greetje
And I do think that they look good on you, especially the sweater. Love it that you chose mustard yellow shoes and not matchy/matchy red shoes.
Greetje, it was hard for me to find “practical” clothing in your very tall country because I’m about the same height as Susan! I’m not into the athletic look either but it could be useful when I was walking or cycling a fair distance.
Owning a great pair of sweats that can be dressed up or down is perfect for these times. I love how you styled these!
I’m picky about sweatshirts myself. I only wear hoodies and they have some sort of design. The bulky sweatshirts always look cheap to me, even from the better stores. The orange hoodie, though, is something I’d wear in a heartbeat. I can never have too many of those!