Home / Outdoors / Buying Guides

Athleisure Isn’t Dead. We Promise

From gym to cafe to airplane, seamlessly.

athleisure-gear-patrol-full-lead Chase Pellerin
AJ Powell

By AJ Powell

Published

·

Updated

In theory, the most comfortable gym clothes make the most comfortable life clothes. But nine times out of ten, you end up looking disheveled and awful when you try to meet up for a coffee with friends after the gym. Thankfully, a handful of brands are making technical, worthwhile gym attire that performs well — and won’t make you look like a middle school gym teacher.

RYU

Gym clothes that look good enough to wear to the grocery store.

athleisure-gear-patrol-ryu

RYU takes design seriously, but the brand takes fit even more seriously. Each piece is meticulously constructed to fit an active body, which, if you’re using the clothes for what they are intended for, is a good thing.

Our favorite piece: Everywear Jogger. Whether you’re running, lifting or traveling, these pants do it all.
Pair it with: Nike Flyknit Racer

Crew Neck Tec Tee by RYU $57
Ethos Full Zip Hoodie by RYU $167
Everywear Jogger by RYU $125
Rolled Cuff Beanie by RYU $23

Outdoor Voices

Simple and comfortable.

athleisure-gear-patrol-outdoor-voices

Based in New York City, Outdoor Voices knows a thing or two about the gym-to-coffee-shop vibe. While OV’s duds aren’t quite as robustly technical as others in this guide, they work perfectly for more static activities like yoga and stretching. Aside from that, they’re ideal for travel, lazy Sundays and errands around town.

Our favorite piece: Merino Tee. The powers of merino are incredible. Comfortable, anti-stench and fast-drying.
Pair it with: Adidas Iniki Runner

New Weekender Sweats by Outdoor Voices $100
Merino Tee by Outdoor Voices $75
Upstate Hoodie by Outdoor Voices $100
Tote Bag by Outdoor Voices Learn More: Here

Lululemon

The original.

athleisure-gear-patrol-lulu-lemon

The OG athleisure brand. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Lululemon is the most profitable thing to come from our northern neighbors since Bryan Adams. But behind the stigma that comes with saturation is solid workout clothing that’s just as worthy of an impromptu date in the park as it sweating like a pig at the gym.

Our favorite piece: Para Backpack. Three separate sections make it easy to keep dirty gym clothes separate from the rest of your goods.
Pair it with: New Balance 247 Classic

Surge Jogger by Lululemon $118
Twill Chill Hoodie by Lululemon $128
Para Backpack by Lululemon $148

Read More

,