Reader Question: Gym Attire

Reader:
 
Hey Dan! I absolutely LOVE the blog (and I'm a woman!). Kinda wish you would include more pictures of yourself...I'm sure I'm not the only one curious as to what the "best dressed real man in America" is wearing =) Just a thought. Anyway, my question is about stylish/appropriate gym attire. My bf is never sure what to wear to workout and usually goes in his old frumpy college t-shirt. Any suggestions?

SB:

Hey! Thanks for reading. It's actually surprising how many messages I get from women who read my blog, so don't feel alone :) I'm glad you asked the gym attire question, its a popular one, and one that hits close to home. When I was an athlete in high school and college I literally lifted weights in rags and in a gym that (purposely) resembled a dungeon. It was all about toughness, grittiness and grunting. But now that I'm a grown man, no longer an athlete, and inevitably held to a standard after winning the said award, I've had to restructure my workout wardrobe.

First and foremost your gym attire needs to be functional. It should be comfortable, allow you to do full range of motion, and not get in the way of whatever exercise you are doing. Secondly, it is important, as when getting dressed for any occasion, to know and understand your body. If you sweat excessively wear darker colors to hide your wet patches and avoid leaving shiny streaks on the weight machines by keeping the cut-off shirts at home. Thirdly, keep in mind the movements you'll be making and dress accordingly; nobody wants to see a man's hairy lower back or sweaty upper thighs. Oh, and fourthly, no "wife-beater" tank-tops - no matter how "jacked" you are.

I usually wear workout specific "dry fit" polyester shirts because they contour the body without being sprinter-tight and they have "cooling" technology which (allegedly) breathes better than cotton and pushes sweat to the surface to ease evaporation and keep you dry and cool. With that I usually wear basketball shorts and running shoes with ankle socks, and an ipod clipped to the front of my shorts with the headphone wire running inside my shirt to keep it out of the way.

Hope this helps! -SB

 

And never forget:

Move On: Plaid Shorts

Again, sorry to my readers for my slacking lately...life has been crazy (i know, i know, no excuses).

While I was on hiatus, I've been thinking of new features for the blog. Apart from taking my first pictures for my "Street Style Spotted" feature where I take pictures of stylish men I come across on the street, I'm also introducing a new feature called "Move On" where I will highlight fads/trends/popular looks that we all need to put away and move on from.

The subject of this first "Move On" feature is plaid shorts. It seems for the past two summers men have been wearing plaid shorts on every occasion possible. Let me be the first to say it: lets retire the plaid shorts (this includes small and big "checks" as well as madras).

It was cool when it first started and only the "cool" stylish guys were doing it...but now every man, their father, and their grandfather has at least one pair. It is no longer unique...and when it is no longer unique (especially when it is a look that is meant to "stick out") it is game over.

Thanks for keeping up, even when I've been slacking. I'm back on a more regular schedule, so keep coming back for your daily sartorial fix.

Yours in style, Style Blogger.

Stand Out

In one of his songs, Kanye West says, "How am I supposed to stand out when everybody gets dressed up?". Well here's how: where a jacket and tie with shorts.

This is one of my favorite looks. If you have the grapefruits to pull it off, do it! I've only seen one other person (other than myself) do it, and it looked awesome on him! (Wish I had my camera).

The trick is to not be shy about it. Wear a slim tailored blazer, shirt, tie, dress shoes, as usual...just trade the pants in for a pair of shorts (and leave the socks in the drawer, of course). You also need the right pair of shorts. This look doesn't work with cargo shorts or basketball shorts. The shorts should be similar to the khakis or trousers you would wear with the same outfit; slim through the leg, neutral colored, and pressed. They should hit about an inch above the knee.

Confidence mandatory.