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Activewear is a dream. Period. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading to the gym every day of the week, signed up for living room Zoom classes or if you simply love to hang out and watch TV in some leggings. The stretchy yoga materials, the flattering compression, the luxury brands, the affordable gems — we love it all. Activewear truly has a place in everyone’s life, and it can be worn so many different ways.
One of our favorite ways to style activewear? By pairing it with other types of casual pieces to create an athleisure moment. It doesn’t have to be ultra-expensive either — the pieces we’ve selected below start at just $12!
What Is Athleisure?
Athleisure is a top-tier style trend in our opinion, and anyone who loves some cool street style mixed with next-level comfort would agree. It’s about turning activewear into part of your daily outfits, whether you’re wearing a sports bra with jeans and boots or maybe an oversized button-down over leggings and sneakers. Some pieces just work in and out of the gym, even when styled exactly the same. Most importantly, it’s a hybrid style trend that lets you keep activewear in your daily life while actually looking fashionable!
Top 5 Athleisure Brands
- Best for sustainability: Girlfriend Collective
- Best for comfort: Felina
- Best for celebrity vibes: Alo Yoga
- Best luxury/designer brand: Tory Burch – Tory Sport
- Best variety: lululemon
11 Best Athleisure Pieces and Brands for 2021
Best for Comfort: Felina High Waist Pocket Leggings
Felina leggings are almost impossibly soft and comfortable, and the side pockets on this pair are actually deep enough to hold your phone and more. We also love that these leggings aren’t made of that slick nylon material, so you can 100% pair them with a knotted tee and platform sneakers for an adorable outfit that doesn’t look like it belongs in the gym. For under $35, these are total essentials!
Get the Felina High Waist Pocket Leggings for just $34 at Nordstrom!
Best Outerwear: SweatyRocks Lightweight Windbreaker
SweatyRocks is one of our favorite brands on Amazon, and this jacket proves why. It’s a great pick for a morning jog, but its sporty stripes would also look seriously sleek with some distressed jeans. You could also wear it unzipped over a mini dress!
Get the SweatyRocks Lightweight Windbreaker starting at just $18 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, March 19, 2021, but are subject to change.
Best Sustainable Pick: Girlfriend Collective Paloma Bra
Girlfriend Collective is the hottest sustainable activewear brand right now. You’ve probably seen it pop up on your Instagram or while peeping through celeb photos. This bestselling bra is our pick because not only is it made from 79% recycled plastic bottles, it has a flattering, long-line silhouette so you can wear it as a crop top with high-rise jeans or culottes and canvas sneakers — maybe with a flannel on top. Sizes range from XXS to 6XL!
Get the Paloma Bra for just $38 at Girlfriend Collective!
Best Affordable Athleisure: Amazon Essentials Studio Terry Convertible Hood Shirt
For affordable activewear that’s still super high in quality, Amazon Essentials has it all. The brand makes pieces based on customer feedback to ensure each purchase is a shopping win. This piece is half hoodie, half shirt, so you could wear it for a workout or try it under a denim jacket with faux-leather leggings!
Get the Amazon Essentials Studio Terry Convertible Hood Shirt for just $22 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, March 19, 2021, but are subject to change.
Best for Celebrity Vibes: Alo Yoga High-Waist Biker Short
It might be easier to name celebrities who don’t wear Alo than it is to name all of the ones who do. Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Lady Gaga, Addison Rae, JoJo Fletcher, Kaia Gerber, Alessandra Ambrosio and Kristin Cavallari are all fans of the brand — and the list goes on and on. We love these cute bike shorts because they can be totally transformed when you add on a long-line blazer and loafers!
Get the High-Waist Biker Short for just $56 at Alo Yoga!
Best Accessories: AWAYTR Organize Oversized Hair Scrunchies
These scrunchies look like they belong on the runway, but ultimately, they’re still hair ties, meaning they’ll be lovely for sprucing up your activewear with a chic accent. When your workout sesh is over, try wearing one with a tennis dress or polo dress to keep the athleisure vibes going strong!
Get the AWAYTR Organize Oversized Hair Scrunchies (6-Pack) for just $12 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, March 19, 2021, but are subject to change.
Best Luxury/Designer Athleisure: Tory Burch Graphic T-Shirt
Tory Burch’s Sport selection has plenty of options, but we were quickly drawn to the T-shirts. This one has a sort of half retro, half modern design that’s tennis-inspired. You could wear it for practice on the court or with some chambray shorts, or commit to the theme with a pleated skirt!
Get the Graphic T-Shirt for just $108 at Tory Burch!
Best for Running: Athleta Run With It Pant
Whether you’re into long distance runs, short nature jogs or laps around the track, these silky pants are ready to go with you. They’re silky and extremely lightweight, and the waistband is all kinds of comfy. In general, these pants also have a totally trendy silhouette, so you can wear them with anything from a crop top to maybe even a short-sleeve blouse!
Get the Run With It Pant for just $98 at Athleta!
Best Variety From a Brand: lululemon Perfectly Poised Jumpsuit
Looking for leggings and sports bras? Of course lululemon has those. But if you want to broaden your horizons a bit, consider all of the brand’s other cool athleisure creations, like dresses, sweaters, underwear and jumpsuits like this adorable one. Wear it with sneakers or dress it up with mules and a silky scarf!
Get the Perfectly Poised Jumpsuit starting at just $59 at lululemon!
Best Athleisure Footwear: Plaka Slipper Socks
They’re slippers. They’re socks. They’re full-on shoes. These Plaka slipper socks are like nothing we’ve ever seen before. You can wear them at home during your workouts because of their grippy soles, but you can also wear them out with no shoes at all. Simply slip on some skinny jeans or joggers and a crew neck or cami and you’re golden!
Get the Plaka Slipper Socks for just $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, March 19, 2021, but are subject to change.
Best for Yoga: Nike Yoga Pants
It’s important to keep your body warm when stretching and trying out new poses in yoga, and these lightweight thermal pants will help with that, all without getting in your way. And after you’re finished up with shavasana, you can try tucking a satin cami into the waistband and grabbing some lace-up booties for an edgy look!
Get the Yoga Pants (originally $70) for just $60 at Nike!
Check out more of our picks and deals here!
