Workout Clothes for Women Over 50 That You Can Wear All Day

Well, you know I live in workout clothes.

Most days they are the first thing I put on, and a lot of days I never take them off. So they have to be cute and comfortable. Both. If a pair of leggings only works inside the studio, they are not earning their keep in my closet.

I get asked about this all the time, so I pulled together everything I actually reach for. The leggings, the tops, the layers that make the whole thing look intentional when I run errands, and the one app I added to my rotation this year.

Why I care this much about workout clothes

You may know I used to own a Pure Barre studio. Part of that job was going to market and finding the brands we would sell at the studio. I got to see and touch a lot of activewear, and I still love some of those brands all these years later.

That is where this list comes from. Not a roundup I put together in an afternoon. These are pieces I have worn for years.

My favorite brand right now is Vuori

If you make me pick one, Vuori is my favorite brand all around, for working out and for regular life.

I just bought these pants, this top, and this jacket to wear on the plane to Italy. I love the color. Vuori is so comfortable and it still looks stylish, which is the whole trick on a long flight. I will wear these sneakers with it.

On an international flight it is all about being comfortable and not looking like you rolled out of bed. This outfit does both.

The other brand I am loving right now is Forme

Forme is the newer one for me, and the whole idea behind it is posture.

The first piece I tried was their power bra, and it has transformed my workouts. I was having so much tightness in my shoulders and my neck, and I believe it was because I was hunching my shoulders up the entire time I was working out without even knowing I was doing it. This bra holds my shoulders back and down for me. I am not fighting my own body through class anymore.

I have added a few other pieces since. Their socks, the power skort, and the leggings I just got from them.

If posture is something you struggle with, these are worth trying.

What I wear to Barre and Lagree Pilates

Most days I am doing Barre or Lagree Pilates. My uniform is a tank top and leggings. That is it.

Here are my go-to leggings and my go-to tops. Everything on those lists is something I own and wear, not something I clicked on once.

A note on sizing, because I am 5'2"

I am 5'2", so that is what I am working with here. I usually wear an extra small in leggings and a small in tanks and tops.

If a brand offers a shorter length, I take it every time. There is no reason to have extra fabric bunching up at your ankle when someone already made the version that fits you.

What makes a pair of leggings good or bad

This is the question I get most, so here is my honest answer.

It starts with the feel. Then it is how they sit on my waist and around my stomach. Not too tight, not too loose. I want support, but not so much that I am being squeezed into them all morning.

And they cannot roll down. That is the one thing I will not put up with. If a pair rolls down on me, it is out, and you will never see it on one of my lists.

The third piece is what makes it work

Here is the key to wearing your workout clothes out of the house. It is the third piece you add.

My usual go-to is a denim button up like this one or my favorite denim jacket. Of course I wear it with other things too, but I love denim almost anytime. Throw it over a tank and leggings and suddenly you are dressed.

The other piece that works, especially as it gets cooler, is a long sweater like this one, and here is a less expensive version. It covers everything you want covered and it makes leggings look like an outfit instead of a workout.

And most days, if I am not grabbing my denim shirt, I am grabbing this Amazon top. I have worn it nonstop the last few years and I have it in so many colors.

My favorite Amazon activewear

I also put together a list of all of my favorite Amazon activewear, and again, these are items I actually have and love. They are more affordable than the designer pieces, and they feel amazing. If you are building this kind of wardrobe from scratch, this is where I would start.

What I wear for a walk

If I am going for a walk I usually wear shorts. I have these in a few different colors. As it gets colder I just keep my leggings on and head out.

What I am packing for Italy

I leave next week, and it is still pretty warm over there right now, so my activewear is absolutely going in the suitcase.

The shorts I just mentioned are coming with me. So is the Vuori set I shared a few weeks ago. And this outfit, which is great for a hotel workout or for just hanging out in the room at the end of a long day.

That is all of it. Three things, and I am covered for the whole trip.

The app I added to my rotation

Besides Pilates, Barre, and walks, I have added an app to the mix. I have been using the Melissa Wood Health app.

It has been so good for travel days and for the days I cannot make it to a class. It is very affordable, and every single time I use it I finish feeling like that was exactly what I needed. She even has meditations on it.

Questions I get about workout clothes

Can you really wear workout clothes to run errands? Yes, and the third piece is how. A denim shirt or a long sweater over your leggings and tank takes it from gym to grocery store without changing a thing underneath.

What should you look for in leggings in midlife? Comfort you do not have to think about. If you are tugging at the waistband or adjusting them during class, you will not reach for them again. I want a pair I forget I have on.

Do you have to spend a lot? No. My Amazon list is proof. I mix the pricier pieces I have had for years with more affordable ones and no one can tell the difference.

One last thing

When I have a new workout outfit on, I just feel better as I head to my class. That sounds small. It is not. On the mornings I do not especially want to go, the outfit is sometimes the thing that gets me out the door.

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