Best gym clothes: because what's more motivating than new leggings?

New year, new gym clothes?

The best gym clothes
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Gone are the days when your gym clothes could be made up of worn out leggings and oversized t-shirts. Now it's all about matching sets, outfits that you can wear from yoga to brunch to the school run. Getting dressed for the gym has become as daunting as the sit ups you have to do when you get there, until now. We've rounded up the best gym clothes that are for sure going to get you motivated!

Lucky enough to have the space for your own home gym? Find all the best home gym equipment in our guide to get it kitted out. Check out how to build a home gym, too.

1.Pick out a floral workout combo

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The best gym wear for floral print lovers

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Same rules apply as in the home, go easy on mixing and matching your floral prints, and either pick a matching set or go for a plain workout top and jazzy workout bottoms or vice versa. 

If you are after just a hint of floral to add a bit of interest to an all black work out outfit then go for a floral sports bra; we especially love these Adidas leggings. Wonder if that print comes in a wallpaper...

2. Go for bold coloured gym clothes 

The best gym wear for colour blocking


Just as with interiors, colour blocking is big in the world of stylish gym wear. There seems to be two clear cut styles when it comes to colour blocking in fashion. You could go down the New Rave colour palette route that's all about the neon (ie, these Asos leggings that we do actually love) or alternatively, if you don't want to blind everyone in your 6am spin class, pick out a more subtle combo of muted colours – these Bjorn borg leggings are perfect. 

3. Go for an entirely ombré workout outfit

The best ombre gym wear


We are still loving ombré in both interiors and in fashion, and personally we see nothing wrong with wanting to match your gym wear with your newly painted ombré accent wall. We love this set from Puma, the ombré effect is super subtle but is way more interesting than your standard all black outfit.  

4. Be on trend with pink gym wear

The best pink gym wear


We are big fans of pink, we dedicated a whole feature to pink room ideas, so yer it's pretty serious. So it makes sense that our love of this rosy hue should seep from our baby pink walls and bright fuchsia sofas into our workout wardrobes. The great thing about workout gear is you can stray from your usual style. So, sure, maybe you wouldn't wear neon pink hot pants or a pastel pink tank top on the daily, but at the gym? Bring it on. 

If you want to add a little pink to your gym outfits but prefer to exercise in a more neutral colour palette, go with a pink wind jacket that you can stick in your locker when you get there. 

5. Choose a classic grey workout outfit 

The best grey gym wear


If the thought of wearing colour even at the gym makes you shiver, then switch things up from your trusty black and delve into grey gym wear (crazy, we know). By sticking to all neutrals, all your gym wear is pretty much going to match, so you won't have to stress about being late to Legs, Bums and Tums because you couldn't find the rainbow print sweat band to match your rainbow print leggings. 

You can be more slightly adventurous with grey and pick something with a subtle pattern, like these Reebok leggings and pair them a plain grey top.

6. Mix it up with marble gym wear

The best marble print gym wear


Looking for some cheap gym wear? These marble print leggings from Asos are only £22, so you can save money on your gym kit and go and spend it on an over-priced green juice after your work out instead. Or you could treat yourself to a matching marble drinks bottle and hey, why stop there? Pick out a cute marble gym bag, too. 

7. Be brave with a statement tropical prints

The best tropical print gym wear


Banana leaf and palm leaf prints are definitely having a bit of moment in the world of interiors so no surprise there's also a load of gorgeous tropical inspired gym wear out there too. If you are feeling brave, we love these funky M&S leggings, seriously they are going to cheer up any early morning gym session.

8. Introduce some animal print into your gym wear 

The best animal print gym wear

Animal print has definitely been making a come back in interiors, but the key to getting it right is to start small, don't dive straight in there with a leopard print sofa maybe start off with some throw cushions or a lamp shade. Same goes for gym wear, pick out a few pieces that you can mix and match with the rest of your wardrobe (case in point this Wolf & Whistle khaki gym set) then you can work up to Scary Spice levels of animal print.  

9. Pick out soft colours for a boho vibe

The best boho-style gym wear


Boho interiors have got to be the most popular home trend at the moment, we can't scroll through Instagram with out seeing a living room decked out in soft pastels, rattan accessories and berber rugs. And while you probably can't find rattan running trainers anywhere you can definitely be influenced by these boho colour palettes and prints. Look out for brands like M Life and The Upside (both of which have a very on-trend quirky, boho style) and pick out gym wear in pinks, peaches, pale mustard yellows and orange. Throw this cute yoga mat over your shoulder and you're good to go...

10. Pick a bold colour for your gym shoes 

In interiors, we talk a lot about adding 'a splash of colour' as a way of creating interest in a space. The trainers you choose can work in much the same way, a way to brighten up an all-black outfit, and since they only take up a small surface area you can afford to be much braver than you might be with the rest of your work out gear. Our favourite from the sea of neon bright trainers available, are these Asics running shoes; as well as looking fab, they are lightweight, breathable, supportive and flexible.

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Hebe Hatton

Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.

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