FITNESS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
Fitness Never Looked So Good The thinking goes like this: Most people go to the gym in order to get in shape for what they want to wear some day. But what about looking ab fab when you go to the gym?By Merissa Green Photography By Ernst Peters
Who says you can't sweat and look ravishing at the same time?
At this time of year, when most people have their New Year's resolutions fresh in their minds -- and we know what yours are -- losing weight could turn into a glamorous feat if you have some of the best high-end fitness clothes.
Fashionable workout clothing isn't your typical spandex from the low-price value stores. These fabrics are made of quality material that breathe style and substance. They won't shrink or fade and you're sure to look like a fashionista. And the best part is you can keep them on all day without looking like you just left the gym.
Warm up to the downward dog (for those not working out, that's a yoga move) in Christy Turlington's Nuala. Nuala's Hyber-Nation collection offers a snowstorm of goodies for Florida's not-so-cold weather. The colors blend in smoothly with the mood of the season. Polar gray, icicle blue and frost-winter white are just some of the hues that will chisel a smile on any man's face. Most importantly, the fit is comfortable for yoga moves. Price range for Nuala's Hyber-Nation collection is $36 for a camisole, $90 for pants to $300 for some jackets and outerwear pieces, available at Neiman Marcus in Orlando.
April Moore, a local fitness model for World Wide Sports Nutrition and MET-RX, likes to look adorable when she stretches her muscles during a Pilates session. The 28-year-old loves her Bluefish Activewear. This line is funkier than most workout clothes, hugging the body perfectly in all the right places, says Moore, who works out at Lifestyle Family Fitness in North Lakeland.
Annie Edelman likes that about the Bluefish line. "I don't like fitness clothing that when you bend over you see anything," says the 38-year-old fitness coordinator for the North Lakeland Lifestyle.
Prices for Bluefish pants, tops and jackets range from $38 to $108.
Because most of these lines are hard to find in Polk County, Edelman says, she started a home-based business called Workout Essentials to offer a variety of high-end fashions. In addition to Bluefish, she sells Brasil Sul and Nina Bucci.
The clothing is a big hit among her fitness instructors and students, says Edelman, who has taught fitness classes for 15 years. When you wear fitness clothing every day, durability matters.
Beatriz Pares, one of the partners in the Miami-based company, says the company calls the Bluefish line transitional clothing. "You can leave from the gym to the supermarket and still look nice," she says.
Maybe that's why some people wear boot-cut workout pants -- the kind where the bottom of the legs flair. For women, such pants come with belt buckles that add an extra-special feminine touch.
The best part about the high-end lines is it doesn't matter what size you are. These lines have it all for the sassy chick who wants more than just a workout from the gym.
August 16th, 2004
