How to Look Cute at the Gym (using color!)
Going to the gym is an activity that, for many, is rife with dread. For those who struggle with chronic illness or eating disorders, it can be a place of fear. For others, a source of anxiety over imperfections. While these deeper issues can’t be solved with a new outfit, wearing the right colors can give you an immediate infusion of confidence. Confidence translates to better coordination and engagement while at the gym—and feeling happier when you’re finished!
L to R: Light Spring, True Spring, Bright Spring
Nothing quite boosts my mood when I glance in a gym mirror like wearing my best colors. Although some opt for natural makeup while working out, as an acne-prone woman, I always exercise with a clean face. A totally bare, sweaty face with the hair pulled back in a utilitarian ponytail is not exactly my best “look”—but when I wear the right colors, I still feel cute and put-together.
L to R: Light Summer, True Summer, Soft Summer
Something that delights my clients when they first see it is that colors tend to look more luxurious, expensive, and special when they are worn by the right person. A $12 electric cobalt tank might look flimsy and cheap worn by a True Autumn, but the same cheap top will appear elegant and breezy on a True Winter. The True Autumn in a bargain mustard sweatshirt will look like she stepped out of a pricey yoga brand’s catalog. Soft Summer’s muted plum leggings will look plush, never dirty or tired. An additional benefit to making your athletic apparel look expensive is that they can more easily transition into your “real life” wardrobe. When you select gymwear in your color season, it can be paired with more intentional looks for work or socializing without looking out of place or overly sporty.
L to R: Soft Autumn, True Autumn, Dark Autumn
A totally coordinated outfit is not needed to reap the mood and energy-boosting effects of color. If you want a smaller taste of the benefits of color in the gym, pick any one of the following methods to incorporate into your workout wardrobe:
Monochromatic: I always get stopped at the gym by people bearing compliments for a head-to-toe, single-color ensemble. Many brands sell coordinating tops and bottoms, so buy a matching set in your very favorite colors and wear them for an effortless look. Vary depth or brightness ever so slightly for a less matchy, but still coordinated look.
Contrast Rules: When in doubt, adhere to your particular season’s rules regarding contrast. True Winter looks great with something very dark, something very light, and a small pop of color. Light Spring looks beautiful pairing light, softened pastels in multiple hues. Soft Summer does well wearing an assortment of depths, ranging from light, medium-light, medium, to dark. And so on. Your color analyst should have give you specific guidelines for how your season wears contrast. Even if your athletic attire does not fall strictly in your season, you will do well to follow your best contrast rules.
In-Season Shoes: Many comfortable athletic shoes can be found in a variety of color schemes. Even if you have an activewear wardrobe of mostly neutrals, you can still often find exciting color combinations within a single pair of sneakers. For Bright Winters, consider energizing turquoise with canary yellow and black accents. For True Summer, look for centering, tranquil combinations of periwinkle, muted fuchsia, and light gray.
Acessories: I am never without my water bottle, phone, and headphones at the gym. I love having a few options for these, as even the smallest amount of color can make you look (and feel) more lively, integrated, and energetic.
L to R: Bright Winter, True Winter, Dark Winter
Some Shopping Tips
Due to seasonal stereotypes and common associations, you may find your colors more easily at certain times of year or in different athletic sections or brands. Remember that most athletic clothing can be worn for a wide variety of activities—unless they are specially engineered for an activity as some shoes are, or for support—sports bras for different intensity levels—sample widely and find what silhouettes and fabrics you like best.
Spring Palettes:
Spring tones abound in athletic wear between the months of February and August. You will often find these tones in stores marketed to a wide range of ages, or for younger demographics with less disposable income, due to the Spring associations with youth. Take advantage of the cheaper offerings and shop at places like Target or Old Navy. For more luxurious options, higher end yoga brands will often have these colors on offer in late Spring and early Summer months especially. Pinks and corals are always easy to find, and many athletic turquoises, especially in the running or tennis sections, are light and bright enough for Spring. Browns will be challenging to find, as will ivory, as True Winter snow white dominates in athletic wear. Light Spring’s pastels are more easily found in luxurious yoga brands, due to the softening from Summer’s influence that is popular in that sphere.
Summer Palettes:
The softer, smoky tones of the Summer palette tend to be available year-round from brands with an “elevated” brand identity and price point, such as Lululemon or Alo Yoga. But many blues and purples from the Summer palettes are easily available year-round in all running and athletic stores, such as Nike, Adidas, or Athleta. I have found there are many excellent tones from all 3 of the Summer palettes to be found in both men’s and women’s athletic section, so explore both. I find Summer colors easy to locate at most times of year, but probably the least in the coldest months. I see True Summer running shoes everywhere I look, so make sure to bargain hunt for these—they are not rare. The rose-brown/taupe shades that many Summers enjoy are often found in brands that are aiming to appear sophisticated or zen.
Autumn Palettes:
Rich and muted Autumn shades have been fashionable in the Western world for more than a decade, with no sign of fading in popularity yet. You can find so many of these colors everywhere from luxury yoga and loungewear houses to thrift stores and websites such as ThredUp or eBay. True and Dark Autumn shades are even easier to find new from August through November. Marigold yellow, peacock, and some gingery orange colors may be found easily, especially in Autumn months. Autumn purples are harder to spot in athletic wear, although I see many heathered options in deeper shades on Amazon. Soft Autumn shades, often mistakenly lumped in with cooler Summer colors, are perhaps rarer but scattered more evenly throughout the year. Soft Autumn is sometimes associated with cozy, sophisticated Winter vibes, so they can be found in December and January holiday sales. I also find Soft Autumn to be popular with online brands, especially those catering to a hip audience or with an environmental/eco-conscious focus.
Winter Palettes:
Although things are shifting to include the other seasons, Winters really do get to enjoy the easiest association with athleticwear. Because Winter is vivid and exciting, athletic brands have used their palettes for decades to energize the appearance of their offerings. You can always find a sneaker in a Winter palette, year-round. Leggings and yoga wear in Winter jewel tones are much more common from November through February. Christmas always incites brands to release various shades of forest green and ruby, and Valentine’s Day often inspires a wide range of sultry pinks and reds. Sadly the one place you won’t find these colors year-round is with luxurious or eco-conscious yoga type brands. These cater to the softer, more muted palettes. You can sometimes luck out only around Christmastime when it comes to these places. Dark Winter, confused with Dark Autumn, pops up the most in October and November.
I find Amazon to be a great place for color exploration—most inexpensive legging options have 20 to 30 color options to choose from, and you can find less trendy colors year-round.
As with all things to do with color analysis, embrace this advice where you find it energizes and uplifts you. This is not a warning that you must “look perfect” wherever you go, but an invitation to indulge in things that make you feel at home in your body.