I HAVE A LOVE / HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHING. I LOVE IT, BUT I HATE TO SHOP FOR IT. SO, WHEN I FIND SOMETHING GOOD, I LIKE TO SHARE THE WEALTH. AND MY REAL SAVING GRACE IS ONLINE SHOPPING. I'M PARTIAL TO SHOPBOP, THE OUTNET, NET-A-PORTER AND REVOLVE, AND I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY ABILITY TO HUNT DOWN EVEN THE HARDEST TO FIND ITEMS. IT'S A GIFT. OR A CURSE, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
WORK it out: athleisure*
I love sweatpants. Really, really love them. I actually kind of think it’s unfair that we ever have to wear real pants. Pants squeeze, pull, create muffin tops where there were none (or at least where we didn’t know we had them). But sweatpants. Sweatpants are forgiving. They love you no matter how much you ate or drank last night and bonus: you can SLEEP in them!
But I do exist in reality, so I know that my dream of living out the rest of my days in sweats is an impossibility. Or is it? It seems that over the past few months an entirely new category of clothing has emerged, and with it, the promise of an almost sweatpants-like existence.
That’s right, I’m talking about Athleisure: the perfect marriage of athletic wear and high fashion. Not sweatpants necessarily, but not Lululemon either. This is super cool, cutting edge leggings, joggers, sweatshirts, cozy jackets – clothing you can wear to workout, but you can also wear to brunch and not feel like a borderline bag lady. Here, our favorite retailers in this brave new world.
We’ve written about Bandier before, but it’s impossible to talk about Athleisure without mentioning Jennifer Bandier’s incredible empire. Five stores (two in NYC, two on Long Island and one in Dallas) plus an incredible website and online magazine, Bandier makes the very idea of workout clothing so aspirational you might even be tricked into hitting the gym. Try the Koral Moto Legging ($135) for the perfect gym meets world look.
This is what happens when two former dancers get together and decide to enter the world of athletic wear. Long on awesome leggings (we’re loving Mara Hoffman’s Long Leggings $136 for spring ), there’s also a Locker Room where some of the world’ s greatest trainers share their secrets (check out what Simone De la Rue has to say – she’s a dear friend of ours) as well as a section dedicated to finding the perfect outfit for any sport.
They don’t “carry everything, only the good stuff” at Evolve, including Athleisure wear for men, which is an added bonus. Check out the Onezie Sweatpants for her ($45) and the Cory Vines Path Trouser ($52) for him.
“Curated Luxury Activewear” is the tagline of this retail store in the swank Brentwood section of Los Angeles. With over 35 brands, they ship worldwide and have same day delivery in LA (sport-a-porter, maybe?). Our personal fave is the Alala Fractal Raglan Tee ($100) which has a loose fit that pairs perfectly with leggings and cute thumb holes that make it super cozy.
*Just because I think it’s hilarious that Athleisure is also a thing on Wikipedia:
Athleisure is a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for athletic workouts at a gymnasium, sometimes termed active wear, is worn outside of the gym to go to the office or shopping or other social occasions. Athleisure outfits are "yoga pants, tights and leggings" that "look like athletic wear" characterized as "fashionable, dressed up sweats and exercise clothing." The idea is that "gym clothes are making their way out of the gym and becoming a larger part of people's everyday wardrobes.” By some accounts, the athleisure trend grew out of women wearing yoga pants. Another account suggests that the trend came about because people could wear them for multiple occasions without having to change, which meant greater convenience, since people did not have to carry an extra gym outfit on the way to the office, for example. Reports in USA Today and in the Wall Street Journal describe the athleisure market as growing, displacing typical workwear styles, and cutting in to sales of jeans, with a market size in 2014 as $35 billion, representing an 8% increase from the previous year. While the trend was started by women, men are increasingly turning to athleisure wear as well. For men's fashion, athleisure wear began with luxury sweatpants and then moved to the upper torso region with "dressy/sporty versions of men’s blazers, varsity jackets, pea coats and sweaters.”
the cold shoulder
The Exclusive for Intermix Cold Shoulder Ottoman Knit Sweater ($295) is the perfect transitional piece. Heavy enough to keep you warm under a coat in colder months or wear it on its own as spring emerges.
The perfect shade of grey, the J.O.A. Cold Shoulder Sweater Dress ($70) is the perfect combo of sexy shoulder bare and buttoned up office wear.
Tamara Mellon's Cutout Cashmere Sweater ($850) is super luxe in a supremely soft cashmere. The slightly loose fit makes it a versatile must-have.
This Exclusive for Intermix Lace-Up Shoulder Rib Knit ($250) will sail into summer paired with white skinny jeans or wear it now with the same jeans in any color. It's slim fitting but stretchy and the lace up shoulders make it far from ordinary.
We love the combo of metallic knit and sexy shoulder in this Cold Shoulder Metallic Knit Sweater ($169). Perfect for a night out.
The Perris Cold Shoulder Pleated Blouse ($225) is the perfect going out top. We love it with leather leggings and heels.
This RCVA Far Out One Shoulder Drawstring Pullover ($27) is so soft you won't ever want to take it off. Wear it with anything from gym clothes to jeans and shorts.
A great twist on a traditional marled sweater, Rebecca Minkoff's Page Cold Shoulder Sweater ($148) is a cold weather must-have.
I resisted Topshop for a long time. There was something about it that seemed so overwhelming to me, but my 12 year old daughter was persistent, and so one Saturday morning, we ventured into the Soho location early enough so that we were the only ones in the store. And here's what I found: MAGIC JEANS. Yes, that's right, jeans that magically make you look many, many pounds lighter than you actually are. They are the Jamie Jean ($70-$80) and while I can't exactly explain the phenomenon, I can tell you that I never get more compliments than I do when I wear these. They are just high-waisted enough to keep any muffin tops tucked in, stretchy enough that your ass isn't sagging by lunch and come in lengths so you can choose an ankle-grazer or a full length, no matter your height. Magic, I tell you.
Winter is coming, and if the past few years are any indication, then we, as an entire nation, need to prepare ourselves. My coat of choice is this Woolrich Arctic Parka ($695), and I'm happy to say that I've had mine for about 5 years now, and it never disappoints. I'm warm, dry, I don't look like the stay puft marshmallow man and the price doesn't totally break the bank (at least when you compare to something like the uber-popular Canadian Goose coats that run closer to $1000). It actually sort of makes me look forward to the first snowstorm ...
Another coat by Woolwich, only this one will break the bank, coming in at $1,095. BUT, if fur is your thing, and you can't stand the idea of making it through the winter without looking super chic at all times, then the Military Eskimo coat could be for you. It's cooler than the Arctic Parka, and has the added fur factor but isn't quite as warm. I'm kind of in love with it, though, to be honest.
I hate leather leggings. I mean, I LOVE the way they look, but I hate that they are prohibitively expensive, lose their shape rather easily and can't get wet. Enter the Blank NYC Vegan Legging at a FRACTION of the price of any leather legging (a mere $98), these will fool everyone. They don't sag, and you can wipe them down with water. Oh, and you can feel superior while wearing them.