Athleisure – 5 Ways to Style Sweats

 

Athleisure style? Do we seriously have a new word for rocking sweats? I have to admit, I love sweats, but wearing them as a cute outfit hasn’t been my thing. What has been my thing? Being cozy and comfy. The first thing I do when I come home is change into sweats. The sweats I change into are absolutely not fit for public consumption, but if I could wear them every day, and for every occasion, I would. My husband is a saint and always tells me I’m beautiful regardless of what I’m wearing, so I started to feel sorry for him seeing me grunged out every night,

I decided to come up with a way to wear sweats that was comfortable enough to wear all day yet still cute enough to feel put together when running into a frenemy. I came up with five ways to style sweats as comfy casual wear. So what is this athleisure trend? It’s basically the act of turning sweats or workout wear into an outfit – yeah!

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Athleisure Style 1- joggers with a casual button-down

It’s important to make your sweats look like an outfit and one way to do that is to add a button-down shirt. A popular athleisure pant is the jogger. I love my navy joggers with a chambray shirt as denim is more casual than other materials. The key is to ensure that your button-down and joggers are not too baggy. It’s also all about the shoes – slip-on sneakers are the perfect athleisure shoe. I love my perforated slip-ons from Sperry and they come in navy, red, olive, gray, black, and teal.

Joggers + Chambray + Slip-on Sneakers

If chambray isn’t in you color palette, you might try a different color or a plaid shirt, just make sure it’s casual and somewhat fitted.

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Athleisure Style 2 – joggers with a cardigan

Another way to make your sweats look more like an outfit is to pair joggers with a cardigan. Although a cardigan isn’t typical athleisure clothing, I think that’s what makes it work and look like a “real” outfit. Like with the chambray shirt, it’s all about proportions. Given my body type, I like to pair my joggers with a tank top and fitted cardigan buttoned in the middle. I could add a simple necklace to pull it together even more, but I don’t bother when I am out to run quick errands.

Joggers + Cardigan + Slip-on Sneakers

I also like joggers paired with a 1/2 tucked tee and a boyfriend cardigan, which has a bit more room and slouch to it. This isn’t for every body shape, but try it!

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Athleisure Style 3 – joggers with a cute tee

Although both the joggers and the tee are casual, the details of the shirt make it into an outfit versus a slouch. It’s always fun to wear a bit of Americana and it’s especially trending for spring. I paired my tee with a charcoal gray jogger and my tan slip-on sneakers that could not be more comfortable.

Joggers + Fun Tee + Slip-on Sneakers

You could pair joggers with any graphic tee to make an outfit. I love J Crew Factory’s city graphic tees. Other ideas for athleisure footwear – try pairing your joggers with casual flats, sandals, or espadrilles – so cute!

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Athleisure Style 4 – a colored sweatshirt with jeans

This is just a plain sweatshirt with no special details, but it becomes an athleisure outfit versus sweats by pairing it with comfy jeans and slip-on sneakers. It helps that this particular sweatshirt is in one of my best colors (how color analysis changed my life).

Colored sweatshirt + Stretchy Jeans + Slip-on Sneakers

I happen to like a cropped jean with this look, but you could also wear a long jean but maybe give it a roll to increase the casual factor. To keep the comfy feel, make sure your jeans have some stretch to them and are super comfortable.

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Athleisure Style 5 – a sweatshirt that has interesting details

You can find lots of cute athleisure styles that are made out of sweatshirt material, thus soft and comfortable! If your sweatshirt has interesting details, then you are able to pair it with bottoms that are more casual – like these yoga tights and running shoes. Although it’s definitely super casual, I still look put together enough to run into a frenemy at the grocery store. Added bonus, I look like I just came from a workout!

Interesting Sweatshirt + Leggings + Running Shoes

 

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Athleisure Style 6 – sweatshirt variations

If you want to amp your outfit up just a titch, then pair the moto sweatshirt with colored or fun jeans like the embroidered ones below and slip-on sneakers. Another option is to wear a plain gray sweatshirt, but get one with fun details like the one on the right with ruffles.

I would love to hear about how you rock the athleisure trend in the comments below and pictures would be even better!

 

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I’m Shannon a color analyst at www.colorcurate.com and recovering shopaholic – always buying, but never having anything to wear. Color Curate is about helping you become effortlessly confident – comfortable with how you look and what you’re wearing each day. If you feel like you have a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear, this Closet Curate guide might help you discover some hidden gems and love your wardrobe again.