Whether it an early morning flight or a casual meet up with friends, a pair of joggers with a t-shirt paired with white sneakers will get you ready in a jiffy. The key to wearing athleisure which can transition from your gym to other daily activities is to keep things simple. Taking a leaf out of our Bollywood celebs diaries, who have made the athleisure look super comfortable, we check with designers and stylist on how to make comfy the new cool.
Alia Bhatt in all black track pant and sweatshirt combo
One of the few designers working with athleisure in the country, Narendra Kumar feels the comfort factor is what attracts people. “I think it emanates from the idea of comfort; everybody wants clothing that is comfortable and not restrictive anymore and sportswear clothing is really the most comfortable, because you can exercise, walk around and do many things in it,” says the designer, but he also points out that sportswear and athleisure isn’t the same. He continues, “Athleisure is a dressed-up version of sportswear. It’s got the athletic or sporty look, but it’s a little more glamorous way of putting on sportswear. Putting element of sportswear and combining them with another kind of clothing, that’s what makes it athleisure.”
Kiara Advani was seen in cropped athleisure ensemble
Be it Anushka Sharma, Alia Bhatt or even Taimur Ali Khan, athleisure works for all age groups. And explaining the reason behind going for the sports-inspired outfit, Narendra says, “Sports is about being young and beautiful and for a lot of celebrities, youthfulness is the key to their career.” Designer Nachiket Barve feels that mainstream fashion has started to accept athleisure. “I feel the idea of athleisure has become acceptable in the mainstream as a fashion aspect. So, whether you’re boarding a flight or going to the gym, or just on a daily basis, the whole idea of comfortable yet stylish clothes for a functional living has been the trend for the past few years,” he says.
Anushka Sharma
While this effortless style of clothing has a glamorous spin to it, a lot depends on the way it’s styled. According to Nachiket, a lot goes into the carefree look of celebs and the same might not look be equally good for everyone. “I think with stars what you see, a lot of them are styled interestingly. Even if it is a track pant and a t-shirt with great grooming, superb accessories, it looks a lot dressier than on average people,” says the designer. Suggesting some styling tips, Narendra says, “I think that the basic elements are essential. You pick up one element like a jogger pant, or the sneaker or a bomber jacket and then pair it with different stuff. The element of athleisure sneakers is an important aspect of it.” Meanwhile, Nachiket points out the basic colour combination and fit. He says, “Wearing the right mix of colours is important, jogging pants in black look amazing but the one in a Barbie pink may not look so great. The fit is also very important because it has to work on your body tone rather than being larger or display love handles that doesn’t really work.”
