Style Hacks: Athleisure

After a long night of studying, partying, or just binge-watching Gossip Girl, the last thing on my mind is what I should wear the next morning. On mornings like those, my old pair of sweatpants from high school gym class beckons to me with its promises of fleecy warmth and roomy comfort. But, thanks to fashion’s latest obsession with athleisure, I don’t need to succumb to my sweatpants’ temptations and settle for comfort without style.

I’m not really the type of person to transition directly from the gym to class. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. I wake up around noon on weekdays, don’t really know where SPAC is (let alone Blomquist), and find the walk from South Campus to Tech to be a grueling challenge. And, let me tell you: athleisure is a godsend for lazy girls like me. The trend brought about an influx of extremely comfortable but fashionable clothing that makes life so much easier. Now, I don’t need to suffer for fashion: I can roll out of bed, throw some yoga pants on, and still look fairly presentable. It’s miraculous.

I challenge you to also ditch your own pair of convenient, ugly sweatpants in favor of the athleisure trend. It’s not much of a sacrifice in comfort, but it is a massive upgrade in style. Here are three tips on using athleisure to your advantage in order to live your lazy lifestyle a bit more fashionably.

1. Bagginess is always best in moderation.

Moderation is the ruling principle of my life. It holds its significance here: the key to a successful, lazy-but-trendy athleisure look is limiting the amount of bagginess. Bagginess is awkward, both as a word and as a concept. It’s definitely comfortable to wear baggy clothing, but too much bagginess (as nice and breezy as it is) ends up looking 50% sloppy and 50% lumpy. In my experience, it’s best to wear those roomy joggers with a fitted t-shirt and that oversized sweatshirt with skinny yoga pants, rather than wearing them together. You’ll highlight your figure and avoid looking like a sack of potatoes.

2. Good accessories up your lazy girl game in more ways than one.

You probably won’t wear your pearls with your Lululemons, but appropriately sporty accessories transform an athleisure outfit from a simple workout look to a stylish off-duty-model one. The benefits don’t end there. A lazy girl knows the value of accessorizing in order to disguise her laziness. For example, mirrored aviator shades will hide dark circles or a lack of eye makeup. Stylish baseball caps are a panacea for when you’re just not feeling hair care. Hide your flaws and accentuate your sense of style!

3. Mix and Match.

There’s no cardinal rule that the pieces involved in your athleisure outfit must be limited to the realm of workout clothing. The wonderful thing about athleisure is its versatility. Pairing casual, athletic pieces with more on-trend pieces is not frowned upon, but encouraged. By wearing outfits that exist at the intersection between athleisure and street style, you experience the benefits of both: the style of your chic pieces, and the comfort of your athleisure pieces. You can continue living your lazy lifestyle of extremely comfortable clothes while also looking super polished.

By using the athleisure trend to your advantage, you’ll never have to sacrifice comfort for style again! Rejoice, fellow lazy girls, and best of luck in your new stylish and lazy lifestyle.