With the rise of athleisure wear and the pandemic shifting our daily wardrobe essentials, you’ll find that leggings and co-ord sets are seemingly the most utilised garment in our wardrobes. Sure we’ve all got a collection of leggings, bra tops, bike shorts and sweats laying around, but more often than not, I find myself with a drawer full of activewear pieces that get pushed to the back never to see the light of day.

If you’re anything like me, then you probably understand the fear that comes with your favourite pieces in the wash. When your workout wardrobe has been part of your daily style, it’s imminent to ensure you have the key pieces for occasions plus a few layering pieces when the seasons change. To help us refresh our activewear wardrobe, Jodhi Meares THE UPSIDE’s founder shares her key pieces, and essential spring additions plus why material is important in choosing your staples.

STAPLES FOR ALL SEASONS

Just like every fashionista has a little black dress in her wardrobe, so to do the activewear queens need to don a “Good black or navy leg and bra when you are just not in the mood for colour.”

But when it comes time to shine, a “Bolder set when you are feeling confident” is nice to have on hand. Just like co-ord sets are having a moment, Jodhi recommends that “It’s always nice to have matching pieces. So, one set of each (colourway) is ideal!”

Seasonality plays a major part in your activewear wardrobe and where you are in the world.  Jodhi explains “When I am in Hawaii, I am more likely to wear a print, something more colourful. THE UPSIDE collections are big, and they are broad, so we have a strong solids range along with a strong print business to cater for both needs. In Summer, a paddle suit or rashie to cover up from the sun.”

“In Spring I love to update my activewear as a little extra motivation heading into Summer, it’s such a great time to freshen up your wellness routine. My personal favourites from our current collection are the two new colours in our Soft Seamless collection.“

WHEN PURCHASING ACTIVEWEAR

Comfort is key! Jodhi explains when designing, “We create pieces you need to move in, so a huge amount of thought and effort goes into this. Using high-quality fabrics that are super soft and stretchy, that will technically back up whatever or however, the person chooses to wear it. That could be for walk, Pilates, work out or to yoga – we need to always ensure comfort.”

Without a shadow of a doubt, look for brands that are consciously making an effort to become more sustainable. As Jodhi explains, for THE UPSIDE, “We’re also making progress in our journey of becoming a more sustainable business, releasing more sustainable fabrics is important to us, and to our consumers, so we have a great new fabric called Recycled Peached which is made from 75% recycled fibres. The best thing about it is it doesn’t compromise on style and comfort, it has such a beautiful buttery hand feel and 4-way stretch, which really holds you in your poses.”