Favorites Series: Activewear - Topic of the day 11/15/24
In those moments where you choose to be active, what are you wearing? Do you have specialized clothes for active pursuits, or do you use old/worn clothes instead? What items or brands do you enjoy for being active, and what factors do you consider when buying activewear? The "Favorites" series is a reocurring topic of the day similar to r/MFA's "Best Of [X]" posts.
19 Replies
polyester gets shit on a lot but it's very good for activewear
tbh i just wear old tshirts and the rest from decathlon
or stuff from adidas I get on sale
Lululemon stuff is pretty good, the pace breaker unlined shorts are my go to shorts for the gym.
For Karate I have my lovely (accidentally pink Gi), for everything else I have jorts, old tees and sneakers
I go on (recreational) walks - maybe 5-10 miles or so, so I do want clothing which is separate from my day to day wear
I actually have a fairly compact selection though
A couple of Patagonia t-shirts, a couple of trousers from the same brand
And then a light fleece, and some shoes that I just use for that purpose
As it’s now getting colder and wetter, I’m looking at picking up a heavier fleece and probably a gore-tex version of the same shoes
Defo agree that poly serves a purpose in these circumstances - I wore regular cotton stuff before and it’s night and day in terms of how dry I stay
I mostly use old football (soccer for the USians) shorts for running in. Other than decent shoes and maybe a decent waterproof you can just use whatever.
People who dress up to go for a jog are thinking about the wrong thing
I’ve gotten into cotton rugby shorts. They are pretty cheap, durable and easy to clean. I don’t really like the feel of synthetics.
I like my merino base layers for cold weather exercise.
I love my lulu stuff but when it goes I would like to replace it with some natural fibers
wondering if there's a good merino/cotton --- or at least heavy on natural fibers and light on spandex/lycra/elastene option
I have some smart wool and icebreaker work out gear, and it’s awful. Starts too cold when it’s colder out, and gets too hot when you’re working out.
Youngla stringers have been my favorite. The Lulu tanks are very nice, I do enjoy them, and the fabric is the best.
Lulu is not flattering towards more muscular builds though. Ends up looking like you’re wearing clothing either too big or too small.
I wear undershirts and half the time I take off the collared shirt and just wear that as my workout shirt. Switch into running shorts and running shoes if I’m running or my older retired running shoes if I’m doing anything else. My workout clothes are purely functional
That being said I got a pair of winter running tights from lulu and they are reeeealllly nice
Essentially, despite the fabric not being as good, Youngla has the most flattering cuts for muscular people when you go to their slim fit / compression clothing.
Don't really love the dynamic of what looks "flattering", I think you're generalizing based on your own personal preferences
At the risk of rehashing a million years of this discourse over and over again, you should reexamine why you use that word (centering what you find sexually attractive) and how meaningless that dynamic is for other people
But noted with regard to temperature reg for smartwool and icebreaker
Definitely. Fit is entirely subjective. But I have found that for more muscular physiques, Lulu ends up being tight around the chest and extremely baggy in the stomach. Leaving an oversized look in the stomach and a skin tight stretched chest. If you size up, it looks like it has a very significant flare with how it drapes, and not in an oversized way.
I have a 40” chest and a 30” waist, so for working out, I personally prefer a garment that fits my torso consistently across top and bottom of my torso. Oversized is great, but I love it to be consistently oversized, and looking intentional, as opposed to appearing like I just sized up in a garment that is clearly cut to be closer fitting.
That being said, when working out outside in colder weather, Smartwool next to skin layers are great when paired with a polyester compression shirt in my opinion. And my go to.
I really cannot sing Adidas' praise enough for this. I started training for a half marathon back in July and went all in on their running gear. Their tanks, long sleeves, and running shorts are incredibly breathable/comfy. Very affordable IMO and above all else I think I look pretty good in it. I've worn all the major brands and none fit as true to size as Adidas has. Recommend anything in the "Adizero" category
I have special clothes for exercising but I don’t care about looking good on them
I just usually get cotton crewneck tops because I'm insecure about binder straps
I usually just wear a cotton tank I've owned forever for weightlifting. Before that, I used to use Pistol Lake (RIP) tanks and raglans quite a bit.
My youngla short shorts have been great when it’s warmer out, otherwise any old pair of sweats and tees work for exercise.
Uniqlo UPF 50 Pocket Parka is AMAZING...
-best sun protection available
-Functions pretty good as a windbreaker and even with light rain
-Provides a bit of warmth as an extra layer
-Weighs very little
-Fits down in a tiny stuff bag
I always use it when I go running or hiking or whatever. Such a versatile piece for like 4000 yen.