Sports gear and workout clothes have been evolving over the years. Back in the day, choosing what to wear whilst working out was easy – you’d simply throw on an old t-shirt, or maybe a vest. Now – there are so many different materials, styles and fits to choose from.
With so much, there is literally a style of workout gear for every occasion. Yoga pants are different from gym leggings, and tank tops are different from pilates tops. There are so many choices to explore and try out.
But which tops are the best for sports and working out? We’ll go through your options here…
First of all, you want to take a look at the fabric you workout top is made from. Fabric has a huge impact on how comfortable and how cool you’ll be during your workout, so you’ll want to be sure you’ve picked a top with the right mix of fabric and textures.
The smell: When you’re working out, you sweat. That much is guaranteed. If you’re someone who worries about smelling a little too strong during a workout, it’s best to avoid polyester and opt for natural fabrics instead. Studies have shown that this can help reduce odours.
The comfort: If you’re big on comfort, then sometimes cotton and natural fabrics might not be the best choice. Cotton is extremely absorbent – so if you’re doing very heavy exercise, you might end up working out in a drench t-shirt. If you’re more bothered about disguising the sweat, and staying cool and fresh, a blending fabric might be better for you.
The breathability: Next on our list of things to look out for, is the breathability of the fabric. If you plan on working out outdoors, in a hot climate, or in the sunshine, having a breathable fabric can be a huge relief and stop your body overheating too fast. Mesh is a great choice if you want something super breathable, but many brands are also doing very fine sportswear now, with thing breathable fabric that isn’t fully meshed.
So now, let’s talk about the different styles available to you, and which work best for what.
Racerback top
A racerback style gives good chester support (from women) and also helps avoid the ‘fallen shoulder straps’ issues, which can be annoying if you’ve got shallow shoulders and not broad ones. The racerback style is great for most types of workout as you’ll get a range of movement and feel flexible and free to move around.
Alphaskin top
This top is a very tight fitted top, usually with long sleeves, that almost looks like a thermal layer, or a skiing top. These work as great base layers (if you need extra warmth for your workout) but they’re great worn on their own too. Most has super breathable fabric and also come with mesh inserts for extra air flow. These work best for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and other dynamic exercise.
Wide arm-hole vest
These exercise tops look slightly baggy, as they have oversized arm holes. This style gives you plenty of freedom to move around, as the shape is so flexible and baggy. They work great for casual workouts and weight lifting too.
Basketball jersey
These sports tops look effortlessly cool, and they’re a firm favourite with team sports (not just basketball!). The top is flexible and versatile to wear, and usually found in a lightweight blended material.
Fitted gym t-shirt
These are often may of super-stretchy, super flexible fabric made from blended materials. They fit close to the body, ensuring that everything is streamlined and ready for your workout. These work great for Hiit workouts, cross training, and even classes like spinning or boxercise too.
Yoga t-shirt
Yoga t shirts are usually lightweight, with a relaxed and stretchy fit. This fit and style gives you the ideal clothes for bending, moving and stretching, and means you clothing will keep you feeling covered and secure too.
If you’re on the lookout for personalised sportswear or gym wear and you’d like to place an order, we’d be more than happy to help guide you through the process. We provide personalised workout gear for schools, sports teams and even stag and hen parties too. We know that design and personalisation is exciting, and we want to help ensure you create the perfect design.
If you have any questions about personalising your sports gear, feel free to get in touch. We have a wide variety of sport styles to suit almost every requirement.
