The Cool Girl's Guide to Getting Dressed for the Gym

Getting dressed for the gym comes down to a matched set, one good layer, a clean sneaker and one accessory that looks chosen on purpose. The women who look best at seven in the morning are rarely wearing anything loud. They pick two colours that agree, keep the proportions tidy and let one designer piece do the talking.

 

Start with the set. Eres makes the Bille leggings and the Marie-José sports bra in matching blues, which is the easiest way to look put together mid-class. Sporty & Rich pairs its logo-print leggings with a logo-print sports bra, adidas by Stella McCartney does a black logo sports bra with black logo leggings, and The Upside's Rhythm Faye sports bra and Rhythm cropped leggings add a little contrast trim.

 

If you want more outfits built around a great pair of trainers, read The Sneakers Fashion Girls Are Wearing Everywhere Right Now and The Pilates-to-Coffee Uniform.

The best gym base layers are the ones you would happily wear to coffee afterward. A fitted turtleneck or mock neck gives you the clean neckline that makes leggings look like part of an outfit.

 

Cordova's Sol turtleneck and Perfect Moment's ribbed thermal turtleneck are the two with the most polish. Splits59's Isabelle mock neck and FALKE's Thermozone base layer are the quiet technical picks, and Beyond Yoga's Cruiser half zip and Varley's Davidson half-zip sweatshirt are what I reach for when the studio runs cold. District Vision's paneled jersey T-shirt and lululemon's Align layered bodysuit round out the group for warmer rooms.

The layer you wear out of the gym is the part people actually see, so it deserves some thought. I like one soft piece and one sharper piece, and I keep the colours close to the set underneath.

 

For sharp, adidas x Simone Rocha's puff-sleeve track jacket and Moncler Grenoble's brushed-jersey hoodie, worn with the matching Moncler Grenoble velour pants, are the dressiest ways to leave a class. For soft, NikeSKIMS's Sherpa jacket and the Free People x FP Movement Scout It Out vest sit over almost any set. Varley's Jorgie hoodie, Beyond Yoga's Roam quilted jacket and Splits59's Mountain puffer cover the cold walk home.

A gym sneaker should feel stable first and look good second, but the second part is where the cool-girl effect happens. Pick one pair for training days and one for everything else.

 

For training and cardio, On's Cloudtilt Moon, the New Balance 990v4 and the Salomon XT-6 have real cushioning and grip. On's Cloud Muse and the Loewe + On Cloudtilt Premium are the lighter, more styled versions of the same idea. Jacquemus's Les Tennis, Toteme's leather-trimmed shell sneakers and the Golden Goose Penstar are better for the studio floor and the walk there than for heavy lifting, and they are the pairs people ask about.

One designer accessory is what turns gym clothes into a look. A hat does it fastest, because it sits at eye level and finishes the outfit before anyone reads the rest.

 

I would wear the Balenciaga embroidered baseball cap with a black set, the Loewe embroidered beanie in red with something neutral, or the Jacquemus Valérie flat cap for the walk to class. Bogner's Agnes headband keeps hair back and ears warm. For carrying everything, Anya Hindmarch's ECONYL tote and baby ECONYL tote hold shoes and a towel, Stoney Clover Lane's Henrietta shoulder bag is the colourful one, and the SKIMS + Nike Puffer gym bag is the easy weekend pick.

Start with one matched set in a colour you already love and build outward. Add a base layer with a good neckline, a jacket in a close shade and a sneaker you can stand in for an hour.

 

Then add a single designer piece, the cap or the beanie, and leave the rest simple. The goal is an outfit you do not have to think about at the gym but still look at in the mirror and like. For more cold-weather layering ideas, read The Winter Wellness Edit, and for the shoes and gear to invest in, read Your Running Era Starts Here.