Most of us know what athleisure is – a beautifully convenient means of transitioning through our day-to-day when our outfits following, suit. AKA God’s gift to womankind. A growing trend in recent years, it accomplishes two things: saving time for the busy woman who stays fit, and raising the standards for our workout clothes.

But sometimes not everyone gets the memo. To be fair, it can be easy to slip and get sloppy. After all, who wants to look presentable for public…let alone cute…when we’re sweaty and gross after going hard at the gym? Working hard, not just working out, is sexy. Pit stains and BO? Not so sexy.

So let’s up the ante a little bit. Fall is nearly upon us, and what better way to look hot and put together than this time of year? To help you transition to fall workoutwear, stay in shape, and looking great doing it, here are four tips keep you on track:

Balance your top half with your bottom half

Left: Via Because I'm Addicted / Right: Via Pinterest — Left: Via Because I'm Addicted / Right: Via Pinterest

In all facets of style, this is a top notch rule to stick with. No one’s sayin’ you’ll look your best looking frumpy all over (a loose top with billowy pants, for instance), but skintight or bare all over isn’t great either (a cropped tank and tighttt workout pants). This rule is easier to flex while at the gym (get it lol), but when out in public running errands this is a great way to pull off effortless chic. A fitted tank looks great with looser joggers, and an airy or flowy workout top pairs well with tighter yoga pants.

Ava & Kris Jacket: $600 / Lululemon Pants: $98 — Ava & Kris Jacket: $600 / Lululemon Pants: $98

Style tip: Stay warm and make your gym kit meow in a sassy fur jacket to throw on when you leave the gym and head outside. This fur-lined parka paired with leggings in a sexy neutral will show that no one needs to lose their style when they’re dressed for a workout.

Wear clothes (and shoes) that fit you

Too big is just as unattractive as too small. Wearing your boyfriend’s shirt might look adorable on you at home, but not when it’s falling off your shoulders while you’re hopping around doing burpees. Just the same, there’s a price to pay when your gym clothes are so tight or small that your circulation suffers – or if you end up flashing your fellow gym-goers. One more word for ye: comfortable. Clothes and shoes that are made to fit you well will help you focus on your workout and not what you’re wearing.

From left to right: $20 / $34 / $36 / $25

Style tip: Right now, Under Armour outlets are having killer sales. Update your must-haves without breaking the bank with this, this, these, and these.

Wear clothes that are right for your body

This branches off from #3. I’ve spoken to some guys who love how jogger pants look, but it doesn’t look great on them because their butts are too big for that style of pants. For us ladies, there are several similar comparisons to keep in mind. If you’ve got some thick and juicy thighs (like mine! #soccerlegs), short shorts may not be the most flattering thing for you. But if you’ve been going hard on the weights and you want to show off those sculpted back muscles, a backless top would look awesome on you. Just like our other outfits, our gym outfits are totally capable of highlighting our best features.

Style tip: We all know how everything can go wrong when your sports bra doesn’t fit (or support). End the madness (and the bouncing) with this high-support sports bra.

Keep it clean

From left to right: Amika Dry Shampoo: $25 / LAVANILLA Deodorant: $14 / Rituals Cherry Blossom Body Mist: $25

A little bit of planning ahead goes a long way. Set aside deodorant, an extra change of clothes (or at least a clean shirt), dry shampoo, and body wipes in your bag the night before. All of these are hella essential for the busy girl tryna stay fit. If you know you’re in for a hot yoga sesh, a balls-to-the-wall HIIT class, or whatever else is about to make you stank, and you still need to hit the grocery store before you head home, guess what! U betta plan for it. When you’re on your way out the door in the morning, you will thank yourself if you make time to grab those items you set aside beforehand.

I speak for plenty of us when I say that I’m definitely less confident when I’m feeling self-conscious about my disheveled appearance and post-gym smell. Even if you’re in a hurry, a quick change and a spritz of dry shampoo go a long way. Do yourself that favor, hunnie. This is self-care at its finest (and simplest). Check out some of our obsessions for body cleanliness above!

Style tip: The best products for anti-sweat, -stink, and –grease. You’re welcome.

Plan ahead

I’ve touched on this but it really deserves to be its own rule. If you set aside your outfits for work ahead of time (no judgment if you don’t but you should bc it’s life-saving), why wouldn’t we do the same for our gym outfits? When our clothes don’t match, don’t balance well or aren’t made for the workout we’re doing (chub-rubbing short shorts for a long run? No thank you), it’s distracting, takes away from having a quality workout, and straight up sucks. You’ll be much happier if you take five minutes to set aside what you need to kick butt for your next sweat-scapade.

Fabletics Backpack: $14 / NorthFace Gloves: $45

Style tip: You’ll need something to throw in your gym essentials. I got this backpack for free after going HAM at their Black Friday sale. Now I use it everyday and I love it. You should, too (get the backpack, not spend all your money on clothes like I did.) Check it out here. Getting cold outside? Throw these into your new backpack to keep your texting fingers warm.

Cover Via A Southern Drawl

How To Slay The Athleisure Trend Like A Pro