Three Tips to Elevate Your Athleisure

The Florida heat makes school fashion a challenge. With all of the walking and time spent outdoors in the oppressive heat, I can easily find myself opting for athleisure rather than dressing up for class. Before attending UF, I was completely unaware of how much I would walk. Athleisure is comfortable, casual and convenient. Because my main goals are function and style in the sweltering swamp heat, I have learned a few tricks to elevate my athleisure into fashion-forward and exciting outfits:

1. Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. The best way to complete any outfit is to add accessories. While this seems obvious, adding jewelry and cute sunglasses can transform your look from drab to fab. Wearing personalized colorful bracelets, chunky hoops, eclectic rings and a timeless pair of sunglasses will make you feel more confident and dress up your outfit. ENewton has the best-beaded bracelets. Their gold bracelets do not change color after being exposed to water, and I have had different stacks on my wrist for seven years. They sell metallic, colorful, and charm bracelets; all of their products are totally in style and versatile. You could even get the Hope Unwritten Bracelet in orange and the Hope Unwritten Bracelet in cobalt for gamedays! Their products make pretty bracelet stacks and are a perfect addition to your everyday jewels. Metallic hoops are also a must to enhance your athleisure. These are my favorite chunky gold hoops from Amazon. Chunky hoops are cute and trendy and will complete your outfit. Another brand that I love is BaubleBar, especially its metallic ring sets and colorful baguette stone rings. Some of my favorite mini Alidia rings are in light pink, fuschia, multi, pink ombre, and black. Their affordable yet high-quality rings add the perfect touch to any outfit and dress up your casual athletic wear. Sunglasses are also super important in the Swamp with all the heat and the bright sun. Nobody wants to squint all day long, so invest in a reliable pair of sunglasses. Quay is an amazing brand with hundreds of styles that can appeal to anyone. They sell both polarized and non-polarized pairs and partner with celebrities all the time. 
2. Don’t forget about your shoes! Have fun with your shoes. Being a college student comes with a lot of walking, so you need to invest in a few pairs of comfortable yet fashionable sneakers. You might also want a few pairs because of all the rain. It is ideal to have a strong solid color pair of sneakers, especially if it is neutral; this could be white, cream, grey or black. A neutral pair of shoes will get a lot of wear and will make your outfit look more put together. A new favorite of mine is Lululemon’s Chargefeel Low Women’s Workout Shoe. They come in many colors and make me feel like I am walking on clouds. Speaking of clouds, On Cloud sneakers are well-liked and another brand that excels in neutral, comfortable shoes. You could also spice it up with colorful or patterned shoes that you can mix in with your regular daily sneakers. Brands such as Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and Hoka have a wider selection with greater color and pattern options. Another tip about sneakers is to make sure that they are clean. I know this is obvious, but dirty shoes can totally change the look of an outfit. Making sure that you regularly wash and clean your sneakers can make your athleisure look and feel 10,000 times better.
3. Wear the colors of the season. Now that it is newly fall, take advantage of the warmer color palette. This season is all about Pacific Ocean blue (or royal blue to us gators), shades of orange, Barbiecore pink, cream and brown. Stores are full of Pacific Ocean blue which is luckily a neutral color for the Gators. According to We Can’t Get Enough of This Color, and Neither Can Designers, a Vogue article about the new popularity of the bold shade of blue, Pacific Ocean Blue is should replace the navy we all typically choose because it is “just as elegant and polished.” Not only are you on-trend by wearing this bright shade of blue, but you are also showing your school spirit. Another fun color that you should incorporate into your fall athleisure wardrobe is orange. Once again, another amazing gator color is currently popular. Contrary to what Elle Woods believes, orange might be the new pink. This fall, transition from your brighter summer shades, like tangerine, to burnt orange and pumpkin spice shades. I know orange is in all of our closets, so wear it! Pink will always be in style. With the premier of the new Barbie movie in summer 2023, Barbiecore pink is taking over. Say goodbye to the 2016 dusty rose and hello to hot pink. Many athleisure brands are adding bright pink to their collections. Lululemon’s neon sonic pink is the epitome of Barbiecore pink. Hot pink workout clothes are sold almost everywhere, including Target, department stores, and Amazon. On the other hand, you can never go wrong with neutrals. Beige and cream are soft colors that flatter any skin tone and are easily found. Alo Yoga’s shade of ivory is perfect for this fall season, and honestly year-round. Items in ivory include biker shorts of varying lengths, sports bras, sweatsuits, different styles of leggings, tank tops, cropped short sleeve-shirts and warmer long-sleeve tops. Autumnal brown is also taking over. It is a slight change from a we all have and can tend to wear often – black. Lululemon, Gymshark, Aerie, Alo Yoga, FP Movement, PacSun, and more stores are selling all things brown. 

Living in the Swamp is better than I could have imagined. While the intense heat forces me to live in athleisure 24/7, I have learned tips and tricks to elevate my outfits. Accessorizing, wearing fun yet comfortable sneakers, and wearing the colors of the season will guarantee elevated athleisure.

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