RECREATION

Getting back to the fitness groove

New sportswear offerings make going to the gym a style cinch.

By Marques Harper
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, January 02, 2008

It's a new year. It's a new you. It's a new me.

You and I will step it up in the days ahead and shed a gazillion pounds and pump iron and use the Cybex Arc Trainer machine like nobody's business. By summer, we'll sport six-pack abs, killer biceps and tight buns and run around Lady Bird Lake without stopping to rest.

We will be the envy of everyone we know — even when we're dressed in our workout clothes.

If you haven't taken a gander of late, sportswear makers such as Nike, Adidas and Lululemon Athletica are delivering fashionable tank tops, shorts, tees and yoga-inspired pants that not only look splendid and athletic but are stink-and sweat-free. They also come with stitching and comfort to last a hard-core workout.

Before you head off to another workout in sweatpants, I must say this: I have always believed that if you look your absolute best going to the gym, your performance will be sooooooo much sweeter.

Janet Lee, deputy fitness editor at Shape magazine, agrees. "We see a lot fewer people who go to the gym in their cotton T shirt and their frumpy shorts," she tells me. "The dress code at the gym is being taken to a new level. People are paying attention to what they are wearing."

In other words, put the Jennifer Lopez tracksuits and the freebie T-shirts in the back of the closet.

For 2008, ready-to-wear with technical and eco-friendly fabrics will influence sportswear. For instance, Under Armour gear and Nike's Pro line, spotted at Academy Sports & Outdoors store in North Austin, appear perfect for outdoor exercise to keep heat in and let moisture out.

And then there's the ski offerings in bright colors and plaids from Burton and Spyder at St. Bernard Sports (401 W. Third St.). And how about the high fashion of selections from Stella McCartney for Adidas at Bettysport at the Domain or West 12th Street locations?

Lee says the biggest trend of 2008 won't be high fashion per se, but instead Earth-happy fabrics such as bamboo, Cocona fiber, polylactic acid, soy and hemp in gym gear. Some of them offer protection from the sun and could be ideal for outdoor exercise.

Another biggie is better wicking fabrics using materials such as silver to produce clothing that is lightweight, breathable and sweat-resistant. They also fight odor.

Third on Lee's hot-for-'08 list are items such as the perfect-fit pants inspired by the popularity of yoga and Pilates and carried by several Austin retailers such as Bettysport and Lululemon (3700 Kerbey Lane). Owning a good pair of basic black gym pants, for instance, is a good way to start building a collection of sportswear, says Katie Woodruff, manager of the Bettysport store at the Domain.

For women, other necessary pieces include appropriate bras and foundation pieces and shoes for the gym. (Look for shoes that offer support even if they aren't the prettiest.) And of course, there are the racks and racks of selections, including the predicted 2008 favorite: the Gym Girl skirts from Skirt Sports, similar to what you'd see Venus Williams wear on the court. Another trend: the continuing popularity of dance-inspired apparel.

On the men's front, changes in clothes are a bit more subtle and technical because male gym-goers usually don't head straight to high-fashion exercise apparel.

"Men are creatures of habit," says Stephanie Terrell, co-owner of Bettysport. "Just as fashion changes, women want their clothes to change. Women want their sportswear to replicate fashion. Fashion has played a big part in the women's side of sportswear."

Particularly attractive men's offerings, however, can be found on a rack at Lululemon, which sells yoga-inspired clothes for women and men with added pockets and built-in slots for headphones. I liked the Endeavor Pant Limited Edition, plaid gym pants designed to give personal trainers an upscale look as they get their clients in shape. (I left the showroom with a new gym bag on my most recent visit.) Popular selections from Lululemon include the Deep V Tank, the Reverse Groove Pants and the Shape Jacket. "I would call them the investment pieces of your wardrobe," says Monica Alas, community coordinator for the Austin showroom.

Men's sportswear offerings in Austin will grow in 2008. In February, Bettysport and Rogue Training System will open a store called Rogue Equipment (500 San Marcos St.) that will carry more menswear and lifestyle pieces (picture it as Bettysport for men) than women's and offer running specific gear. "Men just don't have many places to go," Terrell says.

No matter if you have plenty of options as you get back to the gym, here's Lee's advice: "Buy some cute workout clothes and wear them to the gym. It will help your workout. The clothing is just as important as the equipment to getting a great workout."

With that said, I think it's time for a run on Lady Bird Lake in my new Brooks sneakers.

Before I do, I offer this: Happy running trails and gym tales to you in 2008.