bluebird09

Hi,

I'm becoming a member of a really superbe sportsclub in a 5* Hotel in a big city with an international public.

Hontesly, I do not know what to wear in 2010. One might say, this is not important If we could avoid a discussion if it really matters or not, yes it does to me

Last time, I bought sportswear was a looong time ago and hontestly, Nike & Adidas won't do it for this place

Any sugestions?

THANK YOU!

Analise

When you say a sports club, do you mean a sports club in which you work out and sweat? If so, wear what you always wear when you work out. It's no beauty contest when you're on the elliptical.

I wear lycra shorts and a t-shirt. When it's cold I'll wear long lycras that feel great on your entire leg!

bluebird09

thank you for your answer... Of course, it was understood that it was "some kind of lycra" but the question aims to what kind of lycra or silk or ??

I totally agree with you, it's not a beauty contest but fashion can make you feel better, somehow.

At least for the sports bag, I got it. It seems to me that there is no other sport bag than the one by louis vuitton which I actually hate, because it's plump and seen everywhere. And I do not like showing off Armani/... shoes to go to a sauna either (there are just hotel slippers anyway..)

So is there anything more stylish?

SkiAdcock

Hmm, all the celebs in LA where I used to live who work out at the tres expensive sports clubs/health clubs basically wear t-shirts, sweat shirts, spandex shorts or leggings, and usually aren't carrying LV or Armani.

I'd say if you're that concerned about it then head back to the club you've just joined & look at whatever the other gals are wearing & take your cues from them.

Cheers.

travelhawg

You may want to pick up Shape mag. It shows current styles on women working out and lists all the places to get them.

Analise

Danskin shorts and leggings I've purchased at outlets. Mine are black and charcoal.

What I often see are women (and men) wearing t-shirts of the marathons/charity runs/triatholons these people have completed or at least participated in.

SkiAdcock

Good suggestion. Shape, Fitness, etc, are probably good ones to peruse. And again, just stop by the new health club & check out what the people you want to emulate are wearing.

Cheers.

shell nyc

I'll echo the recommendation to check out what others at your club are wearing. One visit to my gym made it evident that women's uniform is lululemon, so I now own a few pieces from them (and love them!), but never feel out of place in any of my other workout clothes.

techgirl

I belong to a private business club in my hometown and work out at the club. I'd second the "lululemon" advice... that seems to be the wardrobe at my gym as well (where women work out completely segregated from men). I've seen a bit of everything but most of the women are either CEOs/executives or the trophy wives of such and so they all tend to look somewhat elegant even while sweating.

My own personal rule is to dress to get my business done (i.e. my workout) but remember that the person next to me on the elliptical might be a future networking contact... and as such, I try to be appropriately pulled together.

Analise

Wow. You've got me curious about your gym. So your gym is segregated by sex? Is the exact same equipment whether stairmasters, exercise bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, rowing machines, stretching tables, all of the latest and greatest cardio equipment plus weights and circuit training for strength training multiplied by two so that the women have their own and the men have their own separate sets? Is it divided equally?

Cynnamin

Definitely Lululemon. They look great and feel so comfortable on. I run, do pilates and play tennis, and I almost exclusively wear Lululemon for all three activities.

A few items to consider are:

Define Jacket - Probably the most universally flattering jacket on all shape. I have yet to see anyone look bad wearing this jacket.
Groove Pant - Their famous & most popular pants.
Flow Y Bra - Great looking sports that feels great on as well.

I would recommend going to the club a few times before spending a lot of money on exercise outfit. Generally no one cares or notices what you are wearing at the club. I just prefer to wear Lululemon because all their clothes look great on tennis courts and I don't have to buy separate tennis outfits.

Kate_Canuck

Athleta (athleta.com) also has some great stuff and few others in the gym will be wearing it. Be forewarned, though, that everything fits small. I wear one size larger in their clothes than my regular clothes. There are lots of user reviews on their website, though, so you'll get some good information about how the clothes look, fit and wear.

fleef

You've got to be kidding. Wear what is clean, comfortable, and does not show too much skin. Don't worry what the celebs are wearing. In the wealthiest part of Palo Alto (where the Google exec Eric Schmidt lives) people wear baggy shorts and tee shirts. Sometimes their socks do not match. These people I am sure are as "wealthy" and "fashionable" I suppose but what you wear is entirely up to YOU!

techgirl

Yes it's completely equal - in fact, the women's gym is slightly nicer in that we also have a full Pilates reformer studio whereas the men don't. They let you tour both sides when you come through for a membership tour (as long as you schedule at an off time) and we were surprised too, especially having looked at other clubs. I expected a small closet for the women since our gym was separate.

It's nice - the men's gym is on the ground floor across from the grill so you can actually see into their gym so I could count the equipment any time I want. The women's gym is a floor below in the basement and there's actually a doorbell that rings anytime anyone walks down there so it's very private. Two staff members on the floor at all times and I've never seen more than 5-6 women in there working out and in the locker room at one time... so it's almost like having your own private gym. (Whereas the men's always looks very crowded.)

It's almost funny - we have all the same weight equipment but ours stays nice and relatively unused (and always clean and put away!) We have all the same locker room amenities - towel attendants, full size wood lockers for rental, steam room, sauna. But we also get fully-lit "make up" stations with salon stool chairs. :-)

When I did the membership tour, I asked about percentage of membership - it's 80% men. We toured two other business clubs downtown and one had a very sparse women's gym vs. a robust mens one. The other had a men's only gym (and women were given "privileges" to use a public health club about six blocks away).

Our overall club manager is a woman (and the overall fitness manager is also female) - I wonder if that makes a difference?

Analise

Just curious, why can't a prospective member get a tour of the gym during peak times? That to me would be the only time I'd visit a new gym so I could see just how crowded the gym is and what waiting times look like.

A doorbell? Only 5-6 women working out at a time? Where ARE the women?? Or are you working out maybe very late at night which may not be a popular time for women to be at the gym? I like the idea of the staff members—are they there to assist members with equipment, like assistance with spotting them? I work out at 5:30am and we have slightly more women working out at that hour than men.

Very nice! I imagine with so few women there, I bet the equipment looks relatively unused (especially the heavy free weights).

Given your previous tours, your gym sets itself apart. Why would women even THINK to join those other gyms? There are nonsegregated gyms in your area I assume?

From your description, I bet it does. Is your gym part of a chain?

Thank you for taking the time to write about your gym, techgirl.