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Does anyone wear real clothes anymore? I can't remember the last time I saw women 50 and older not in black leggings. It has become our daily uniform. Gym-inspired clothes may not do more than make us feel cool and fit, but who needs more incentive to wear them than that? Here's the thing, though: Sometimes what feels good can look wrong if your body and those leggings and tees are out of sync. So here's how to get athleisure all right, and one or two tweaks is all it takes.
1. Wear a longline sports bra, not a regular bra.
One of the biggest mistakes is wearing a normal bra — like a lacy underwire, T-shirt molded style or soft bralette — under sporty tops. It doesn't work. Thin, stretchy moisture-wicking fabrics, tops with wide necklines or scope armholes and racerback tanks need a stylish sports bra. Choose one with wide, racerback or X-back straps and an extended band that's a good inch or 2 inches below the breasts. It's the magic ingredient that banishes jiggles and rolls. Try the Zella Exhale Studio Lite Sports Bra in pink rouge or purple violet ($49, nordstrom.com) with back closure or the Soma Sport Seamless Zip-Front Bra in nightfall navy ($55, soma.com) with front closure for easy on/off, or choose a pull-on style like the Girlfriend Collective Topanga Sports Bra in moss ($38, nordstrom.com). Black works with everything, but try color for a change — and if it shows ... great!
2. Choose body-friendly tanks with the right shape.
Sleeveless tanks are an essential part of workouts and the athleisure look. However, they can be tough for women who don't like baring their upper arms or the skimpy undershirt look on a curvy body. One solution is to choose a racerback tank like the Old Navy Breathe ON Mesh-Racerback Tank Top for Women ($20, oldnavy.gap.com) or Old Navy UltraLite Racerback Performance Tank for Women ($13, oldnavy.gap.com). The deeply whittled armhole reveals more of the shoulder to create the illusion of toned, trim upper arms. The other option is a high-neck tank with long high-low hem like the Athleta Breezy Tank ($44, athleta.gap.com) or the Soma Sport High-Low Tank in saffron, optic white ($49, soma.com) for extra coverage. Try these kinds of tanks, and I bet you buy!
3. Pair leggings with the right pieces.
The problem with black leggings is we treat them as “pants,” not as an athleisure item. Here's the difference. Black leggings are great at the gym and for errands and workouts with long tunic tops or sweatshirts and sneakers. They look amazing in cold weather as a base for layers, sweaters and boots. The problem arrives when we force leggings to be pants and pair them with fitted tops, lots of jewelry and dressier flats or heels. Then they look like pantyhose. For a sporty, chic combo, pair leggings like the Lou & Grey Lite Ponte Pocket Leggings in Desert Grass ($60, loft.com) with a long tunic tee like the J.Jill Luxe Supima A-Line Tunic in Eclipse ($59, jjill.com), and add flat mule sandals like the Sam Edelman Granada Slide Sandal in Dark Bourbon Leather ($60, nordstrom.com). And for once, skip black and try a mix of fresher neutrals like navy and white or earth tones and olive.
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