Cute Athleisure Outfits (That are Polished and Comfortable)

Athleisure is not the same as workout gear. Today, I’m sharing the difference between the two and how to still look cute (and comfortable!) when rocking athleisure, especially as we head into summer. I wear athleisure at least once or twice a week while working from home (here’s my work-from-home setup). Over the last year or so, I’ve developed a collection of athleisure pieces that I throw together to create cute outfits. Since summer is almost upon us, I wanted to share my favorite warm-weather athleisure finds.

How to Style Cute Athleisure Outfits

Over the past few years, the main thing I’ve learned about wearing athleisure as a “real” outfit, rather than just wearing my workout clothes for the rest of the day, is that how I put my outfit together matters. For example, a white tee and black skirt paired together is technically an athleisure outfit, but it doesn’t feel cute or special. The key is adding fun accessories and layers that add some interest to your outfit.

Here are a few tips:

• Stick to a color palette – Matching tones (like all-neutrals or all-pastels) instantly make your outfit look intentional and chic. Or if you’re wearing a white tee and black skirt, throw a colored layer over your shoulder– more on layers below.
• Add a layer – Since air conditioning is blasting everywhere I go in the summer, I’m always grateful to have a sweater or pullover with me in my tote. When I throw it over my shoulders, it instantly makes my outfit look polished (versus tying around my waist which looks more functional). The purple pullover in the photo below is the Natalie pullover by Kilte.
• Choose high-quality fabrics – I love me some Amazon (and you’ll see plenty of Amazon finds included below), but I try to find fabrics with thick, matte material and good stretch look since they tend to look sleeker and more flattering than shiny or worn-out pieces.
• Accessorize, but minimally – A sleek ponytail, gold hoops, and a crossbody or belt bag can polish off the look without overdoing it. The point is functional and cute, so you don’t need to go overboard with accessories, but a few details will elevate your look from activewear to athleisure.
• Wear clean, stylish sneakers – A fresh pair of sneakers (especially white or retro styles) makes a big difference in the overall look. And if your outfit is neutral, a pair of fun colored sneakers can be a great accessory! I love to wear light pink sneakers with a neutral athleisure look. See my favorite white sneakers here and a few trendy colorful options in this post.

My Favorite Athleisure Pieces

Now that you have some tips for putting your outfit together, let’s get into my favorite picks.

Dresses and Sets

One perk to wearing active dresses or sets is that they’re an outfit entirely on their own! I will add a sweater on my shoulder, sunglasses, and a purse or belt bag, and call it a day. No need to overthink what top to wear with what bottoms. And the key is to wear sneakers with your dresses (this is what makes them true athleisure outfits).

Fore-té Tate Dress

I just got the Tate dress from Fore-té, and it’s insanely cute. The material is made from their signature brushed UPF50+ fabric (anyone else part of the no-sun club?), and has a cute zip mock-neck collar and fit and flare design. The selling point of this dress is that it has built-in shorts that are detachable in the back, so you can pull them down to use the restroom without taking the dress off. Activewear dress companies…take notes. This dress looks great with simple canvas sneakers like these Tretorns. I wear this dress for Pickleball!

Two-Piece Varley Lookalike Set

One of my favorite athleisure options for warmer weather is this Varley lookalike two-piece short set. I have the light blue colorway and wear it non-stop in spring, summer, and fall. It’s a sweat set material, so it’s super comfortable, but the cut and the fact that it’s a matching set make it feel super polished and on-trend. I wear a size small. I styled this set with chunky sneakers since the fit of the set is relaxed. I’m wearing Gola sneakers in the photos below.

If you want to try the real Varley version, see the Magnolia Half Zip Tank here and the matching Varley shorts here.

YPB sculptLUX Drop-Waist Mini Dress

Abercrombie always makes really fun athleisure dresses, and I love this year’s YPB sculptLUX Drop-Waist Mini Dress. It has stretch interior lining with hidden side pockets, adjustable straps, and a flattering square neckline. From what I can tell online, this dress has shorts you can also pull down without taking off the entire dress. Since this dress is already feminine and flattering, I’d opt for a slim-fitting sneaker like the New Balance 327.

Short Sleeve Hayden Dress

I got this Short Sleeve Hayden Dress in their cute green gingham pattern this spring and finally understand the hype. The dress is functional both on and off the golf course (Byrdie Golf Social Wear is a great place to shop for cute golf clothes for women), and the buttons are great for nursing. I’m obsessed with the coordinating white floral shorts underneath this pink colorway. You can leave a few bottom buttons open so the shorts peek out, or button the dress all the way up. Since this is a more “polished” option for athleisure, make sure your sneakers are polished as well. I’d likely opt for white leather sneakers like VEJA recifes or Cariuma sneakers.

I find that wearing anything with a collar helps me feel more polished when I’m in activewear all day long.

Tops

New Take Crewneck T-Shirt

My current favorite athleisure top is the New Take Crewneck T-Shirt from Nordstrom. It’s boxy and relaxed but cropped so that it doesn’t totally swallow my petite frame. I pair this with shorts, skorts, and leggings. I wear a size small and own this in a few different colors. I shared a quick try-on video in this top on LTK that you can see here.

Essential Polished Body-Skimming Tee

Another go-to athleisure top is this Essential Polished Body-Skimming Tee from Abercrombie. It’s important to have a well-fitted white tee to pair with shorts, skirts, and leggings, and I always order mine from Abercrombie. They have a few different t-shirt styles, but this Essential Polished Body-Skimming Tee has a biopolish finish that looks clean and feels crisp to the touch. It isn’t totally fitted but does skim the body and hits right at the waist.

Neiwai Ultraflex Cotton Basic Tee

This Ultraflex Cotton Basic Tee is a fantastic athleisure option since it’s fitted, slimming, and feels like activewear (although it’s really loungewear). It looks tiny out of the package, but it’s super stretchy and fit perfectly once I tried it on. I have a size small.

Bottoms

Pleated Golf Skort

This Pleated Skirt from Amazon is an athleisure staple in my closet. The length is perfect (not too short), the waistband feels great (it’s wide, which I always prefer), and it has built-in shorts. I would size up if you’re on the fence since the waistband is tight. This skirt is cute with a white tee or tank top, sneakers, and fun sunglasses. I own it in pink and navy.

Tailored Skort

While I love a true workout skort option for athleisure, when I want to feel more dressed up (but still wear activewear), I opt for a tailored golf skirt. I prefer this A. Putnam C’est Tout Skort over almost every other skort I’ve tried. It’s made for golf, but the A. Putnam designs their clothes to be worn on and off the course, and that’s exactly what I do. Quince makes a Performance Tech Skort that looks similar if you’d rather not splurge.

Era High-Rise Short

The Era High-Rise Short from Rhoback is a fantastic athleisure short. In fact, they’re so comfortable that I often work out in them! They’re made with four-way stretch and a lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric. They have two pockets and a wide waistband making them functional and flattering, and they have the perfect (almost 4″) inseam.

CRZ Yoga Skirt-Shorts

One of my favorite pairs of Amazon shorts are these shorts with a skirt panel from Amazon. I think of these shorts as my “party in the front, business in the back” shorts. They’re cute and flirty (and have a great wide waistband), and come in a handful of colors. I wear these most often with a looser fitting cropped tee.

Speed Up High-Rise Lined Short 4″

The Lululemom Speed Up High-Rise Lined Short in the 4″ length is another favorite of mine. I used to think the Speed Up shorts were way too short, but once I tried their longer inseam, I understood why everyone loved them so much. I have a hot pink colorway, but I love that Lululemon releases new colors often. To keep my outfit on the more polished side (rather than looking like I came straight from a workout), I pair these shorts with a well-fitted t-shirt and cute New Balance sneakers.

Leggings

While I don’t wear leggings often in the warmer months, they are my go-to in the cooler mornings or when visiting Boone. My favorite leggings for everyday wear are the Breathe High Rise Pocket Leggings from Set Active. They’re under $100, but not a true budget pick. My favorite Amazon leggings the HeyNuts leggings since they feel about 85% as good as the Lululemon Align leggings.

I put together a full review of my favorite Amazon leggings and also shared easy outfit ideas for styling leggings, whether you’re heading to the office, running errands, or even going on a date night.

Shoes

New Balance 327 Sneakers

My favorite sneakers for any athleisure outfit are the New Balance 327. They’re fitted and look “slim” on the foot, which is so much more flattering than a bulky sneaker (see all of my favorite trendy sneakers here). They’re right under $100 and come in a few different colors. I always size up in sneakers, so I do the same in these.

Adidas Gazelles

These light pink Adidas Gazelles are my most recent purchase and I LOVE them. They’re slim on my foot and come in tons of colors. Not only do they work well with athleisure outfits, but they’re also perfect with jeans and casual dresses.

New Balance 530 Sneaker

These are a bit trendier, but I think they’re fun paired with athleisure clothes. The New Balance 530s are chunky and old-school, but SO comfortable. Since they’re bulkier than other sneakers, I always try to balance them out with shorts or a skirt since they just look funny with leggings.

On Cloudmonsters

I got the On Cloudmonsters during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last year, and they’re so comfortable. They look more like running shoes than the other sneakers in this post, but I love having a sportier option for athleisure, too. I particularly like the black and white color option.

Accessories

Leather Purse

My favorite way to style athleisure is with a leather bag – namely, this Madewell woven tote. A tote feels more casual in general since it’s such a functional size, and I appreciate that I can carry my kids’ toys, water bottles, a laptop, and anything else I might need for a busy day on the go.

I shared a handful of other mom-approved bags here.

Belt Bag

I carry my Amazon belt bag almost every time I wear an athleisure outfit. It’s practical AND trendy, which is a rare combo, ha! I compared it to the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag, and they are almost identical, other than the Lululemon logo, so I highly recommend the Amazon version since it’s easier to find in stock and much cheaper. The one below is Lululemon because it was more conveniently located when I took these photos. You can see some snaps of the Amazon version on me in this belt bag review and comparison.

What is athleisure attire?

Is “athleisure” even a real word? Actually, yes, according to Miriam Webster.

Since the term athleisure is relatively new, it’s totally fair that some may not even know what it really means! Essentially, the term athleisure refers to clothing that’s comfortable and athletic but also cute and pulled together enough to wear in public (think: cute, athletic outfits). And in my mind, it doesn’t count if I can’t wear sneakers with it.

Is athleisure still in style?

Sure is. And I don’t see it going anywhere for a WHILE.

My wardrobe is slowly filling up with matching workout sets, lounge pants, and cute pullovers, so I feel like I’ve finally found my groove in terms of my activewear style. And let’s be real: the timing couldn’t be better, considering I have a wild toddler and 1 year old to chase around.

What’s the difference between athletic wear and athleisure?

In general, athleisure outfits are fashion-forward, pulled together, and can be worn appropriately in public, while athletic wear is worn for workouts. But honestly, I don’t believe in strict “rules” for fashion. There are many pieces in my closet that I could wear for a workout and also wear as a cute outfit. And depending on what kind of workouts you do, you might have a ton of crossover. However, as a runner, there are some things I wear for workouts that I absolutely wouldn’t wear as “street style,” like my running shoes. I find that running shoes aren’t usually very cute (and my running shoes are strictly for runs, which helps them last longer), so I have a pair of cute (non-running) sneakers that I wear with athleisure outfits.

While you could wear the same clothes for workouts that you also wear as athleisure, my personal differentiation, and what helps me feel cute and polished, is NOT wearing the same clothes for workouts that I wear as cute athleisure. I need the mental separation between the two in order to feel like I’m polished in my athleisure. I’ve also found that HOW I wear an outfit dictates if it’s athleisure or workout gear. I always style my hair and put on at least a little makeup so that I feel pulled together for the day.

Is Lululemon considered athleisure?

Absolutely! I love to wear my Align leggings and yoga pants in the cooler months for athleisure outfits, especially as an alternative to baggy sweatpants. And I also find that their Scuba pullover is a much cuter option than wearing any of my old hoodies.

I’ll continue to add to this post as I find more great pieces! I hope you find a couple of fashionable pieces to add to your athleisure style.

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