314: The Pilates mirror speaks

A workout wear edit.

Powered by Aritzia

The readership has been asking for a workout wear send for as long as I’ve been doing outfit coverage on the newsletter…about two years now, maybe three. Answering DM inquiries whenever I post selfies from my Pilates instructor’s Fort Greene home studio (hi Helen) has become as much a routine as the workout itself. And the answer is always the same: it’s Aritzia.

I’ve pretty diligently tested exercise apparel of all pedigrees—from sports titans and smug incumbents alike—but my dedicated wardrobe, pruned down to the best and most worn pieces, winds up being about 80% Aritzia. It’s priced well, lasts, and I appreciate that the design team has put into effect something I know deep in my core but have had a near-impossible time identifying in the wild: that performance and comfort can in fact be great partners to a flattering fit. (Why must everyone complicate everything so much?)

Golden BUTTER Essential 5" Romper, $78 / Golden PowerSculpt™ Essential Camisole, $45 / Golden Stability Pilates Sock 3-Pack, $25

Am I of the camp that a nice little outfit is good motivation to get exercise? Mmm, well yes. The part of me that keeps an eye on the mirror while I’m serving a tray on the reformer, trembling like a leaf, appreciates styling details like complementary colors and layering. I like that the sweat marks left on heather gray remind me of archival ballet rehearsal photos and John Travolta. I like the flash of a criss-crossing grippy sock in Colgate white.

It’s all very practical, though. With something like Pilates that’s low impact, I can get away with skipping a sports bra and just wearing a tank or two for support, while enjoying, like really having the time of my life with, my greatest range of motion.

Tna HomeStretch™ Crew Longsleeve, $35 / Sweatfleece Cozy Fleece Mega Baggy Barrel Sweatpant, $85

The hunt for a straight-leg sweatpant of the right weight, rise, and width once plagued me; I’ve written about it here several times previously and been let down by promising contenders. These—and the pair below, especially on my 5’5'“ frame—neatly solve that on all fronts. Where other styles have failed and these succeed: a waistband discrete enough to avoid bunching under a sweatshirt, the butt is clearly cleaved (no diaper effect), and a leg shaft perfectly parallel down both sides…sending blessings to all the barrel wearers, but that is too much meaningless fabric for doing actual work in.

Babaton Publication Coat in Wool Cashmere, $350 / Golden LIFE Relay Zip-Up, $98 / Sweatfleece Cozy Fleece Boyfriend Balloon Sweatpant, $75 / Go-Getter Wristlet, $48

It was these very zip-ups that made me a fully (like incorrigibly) fledged Aritzia convert last year. While I’d always felt in on the secret of the brand’s unimprovable stretch shorts, say, seeking out—and finding—kindred styles to my The Row Patti Top is what clued me in to the fact of Aritzia’s so-precisely-fitting-they’re-practically-tailored gym clothes.

Blended outfits and pieces that toe the categorical line are fun. One of the little satisfactions of workout clothing is wearing it beneath civilian outerwear. It’s a sequence I’ve acted out a thousand times: “On my way to Helen’s for a session, let me just throw on yesterday’s coat before I have to send another ‘I’m late’ text.”

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