Dress Properly: Gym Fashion Rules

When you’re going to the gym, you shouldn’t be thinking about what you’re supposed to wear – you’re there to work out, not to participate in a fashion show! However, there are still things that you should pay attention to when you are attending the gym. You want to be comfortable and free, but you also want to be respectful to everyone else, because remember: the gym is a shared space, so you want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable. So here are some rules and faux pas for dressing appropriately at the gym.

Stay covered

We all get sweaty at the gym, it’s what gyms are there for. And while your first instinct might be to take off your shirt – don’t. This especially goes to the guys out there, who feel a lot more entitled to take off their shirt than women do. But taking off your shirt can make people around you uncomfortable, so just stick with it. For women, there is the sports bra debate to be had, but to stay on the safe side, just keep your shirt on. You’re only going to be there for a little bit of time, and then you’ll get to take it off. For women, short shorts can also be a problem, not because your bum will be sticking to the cycle seat, but because you’ll be flashing people left and right and nobody wants to experience that.

Wear shoes

For the love of god, don’t go barefoot. There are so many people passing through there every day and if just one person has something like a foot infection – everyone will get it. But also, don’t wear your outdoor shoes inside the gym. You want the space to be clean and sanitary for everyone to feel good, so just bring a pair of gym shoes and leave them in your locker.

Check the thickness of the material

You might have thrown something on before yoga class, and you feel really good and comfortable in it. But then you do a downward-facing dog and all of a sudden, the person behind you gets a full view of your underwear because the material isn’t thick enough. Choose your gym leggings wisely and always do a bend test to check whether they are see-through or solid. You also don’t want to wear cotton, because it will retain moisture, so you will be leaving pools behind you wherever you sit.

Be careful of attention

Sure, you might just want to blow a lot of money on very expensive and eye-catching gym clothing because you like the way it looks, and it’s your style. However, if you do show up at the gym looking like that, make sure that you have the skills to back it up. You will draw eyes, and if you can barely last ten minutes on the treadmill or lift a tenth of your weight, you might hear some whispers.

Dress with training in mind

If you are overly accessorizing, using a lot of makeup and clothing that is obviously not meant for working out at the gym – you’re obviously trying to attract the attention of other people there, and you’re not focusing on working out. It’s perfectly fine to think about style and dress in a way that makes you feel good, but put working out – not attention – to the top of the list.

Whether you’re joining a new gym or hitting up a class, you want to make sure that you are dressing in the correct way not to step on any toes while you’re there. And if you’re planning on being a long-term resident, you really want to make the right impression.