There was a time in Sydney when it was okay for a man to wear his torn-up old sweat shorts while running a few slow laps of the park, on the proviso that he wore something more conventional out to breakfast afterwards. Alas, with the rise of fashion sportswear, those days are gone.

Over the past few years, the line between fashion and exercise wear has become blurred. In Sydney today, it’s quite normal to parade around the city in your gym gear, even if you’ve done no exercise at all.

And so we’ve arrived at the launch of The Practical Man, an online store founded by Brett Webster, Simon Cozens and Jon Weller that challenges Australian men to think more considerately about the aesthetic value of the clothes they exercise in. The trio have recently opened their first concept store in the CBD of Melbourne.

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The project was led by Webster, who noticed a gap in the men’s sportswear market while running his other business, Pilates on Bourke in Melbourne. The name was inspired by the definition of the word practical, which means doing something.

The online store stocks a collection of boutique, mostly European and North American brands including Brandblack, Isaora, Ron Dorff, Reigning Champ, Iffley Road and Huez.

The Practical Man's online platform serves as more than just a shopping portal. There's nutrition advice from naturopaths in addition to work out tips. Interestingly, the platform has included a number of Lifestyle Guides, showing readers the best places to eat, sleep, exercise and relax while away.

While Sydney waits for it's own concept store, the online store will have to suffice.

thepracticalman.com