How To Build an Activewear Wardrobe You Can Stay in Outside the Gym

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is get some movement in – be it a quick walk around the block, a grounding yoga class, gruelling circuit training or a fun group class.

For Jason Daniel, founder and chief executive of Australian activewear brand LSKD, movement is one way we can all be 1 per cent better every day. Naturally, this ethos feeds into the label’s designs, where the best style begins with putting utility first.

Fashion and function go hand in hand, and Daniel – the eponymous “loose kid” that inspired the name – says there’s no reason why we need to change out of our activewear when we leave the gym.

“It’s so important to have [a day-to-night wardrobe] because everyone’s busy,” says Daniel, “If you’re going to go do a workout Saturday morning but, say, you’ve got coffee straight after or you have things to do, you want something that’s comfortable so you can wear it all the time.”

Functionality comes first

There’s no point buying cute or trendy activewear if you can’t actually move in it. That’s why everything at LSKD has been designed with functionality in mind. Its high-quality, performance driven apparel is built for the kind of lifestyle you’d have as a strong, active person who also has a life outside the gym,

“First and foremost, we fit within the functional fitness community, so we style our sets off that need,” says Daniel, “So you really want [the set] to look good, but you also want it to perform at the highest level.”

For women, he recommends the Fusion legging and shorts. “This is the line that you can run a marathon in, do a Hyrox [event in], and wear out every day without compromising on the style and feel.”

Finding the perfect fit

Next, you need to figure out the way you move, and what you need to support it – whether that’s while flowing through your workout, running daily errands or grabbing coffee with friends.

If you’re doing plenty of cardio, for example, a lightweight and breathable top that wicks sweat away works better than a heavy cotton shirt. Or if your workout of choice is reformer Pilates, leggings that mold to your body as you move will be more appropriate than baggy pants that might get caught in the springs or reformer bed.

If finding the right activewear for your body is still a daunting task, “it’s always important to consider the whole set”. Confidence comes from looking good but feeling better. That might be wearing a set from the same collection or, as Daniel does, pairing the functional training short – which can be worn day-to-night – with an oversized tee.

Fabric matters

Another thing Daniel has come to learn is that when an item of clothing looks good, it’s often the case it feels even better. At least, this is what the brand swears by when it comes to developing high-quality fabrics for every piece.

“[You want clothes that are] soft-touch, pill-resistant and feel like a second skin,” he says, “Make sure it feels beautiful on the body, too.”

Take LSKD’s Accelerate high-rise running short, which Daniel describes as a comfortable piece you can wear all the time. “We’re finding the community is not only training in these shorts, but styling it back with an oversized tee and wearing it on the streets as an all-day item.” Or the newly launched After Dark collection of zero-crease hoodies and quarter-zips, so you don’t have to steam or iron after washing your clothes.

For every season

There’s nothing worse than trekking to the gym in bike shorts and a tee when the temperature is plummeting outside – you need an active wardrobe that moves with you as the seasons change.

As LSKD opens its newest store in Melbourne’s Armadale this July, seasonal wearability is a priority. With global expansion on the mind (a second US store is opening in Austin, Texas, later this year and a first in Singapore early next) dressing through climates is more important than ever.

“We’re really trying to localise with our [global] communities by listening to them,” he says. “You’ve got some really cold days in Melbourne, but then Austin gets hot in summer and Singapore is always really humid. Different communities are going to gravitate to different layers.”

Add a pop of colour

No matter the style or season, a pop of colour completes the look – and adds a touch of your personality. “We’re really known for using lots of colours. We lean into panel colours, such as the Accelerate shorts with the two-tone panels.” For Daniel, this is the next step for elevating a set after you’ve thought about the fit, fabric and function.

After all, when it’s so stylish and simple, there’s no reason why activewear can’t move through life with you.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with LSKD.