The Fitness Fashion Experiment: Catsuit Edition

The two of us can be a little fashion-obsessed at times. We love to get jazzy with the best of them. That love for fashion and all things stylish has trickled over into our gym wear. Between my obsession with Fabletics, and Shawnie’s love of Target’s JoyLab line, we could probably use a financial intervention when it comes to shopping for colorful tights, supportive sports bras and tanks with sassy slogans. On top of that, we want these things to come with all the perks: moisture-wicking, compression, performance, high-waist, stretch, sparkle, and shine….whatevs.

I recently noticed the re-emerging trend of the fitness jumpsuit. I noted a few bloggers posting about wearing them, but no one touched on what it was like to actually work out in one. If there is one staple in my wardrobe, it’s a good jumpsuit or romper. I decided I needed to give the fitness one-piece a try.

Choosing the right one

There are a lot of options on the market already. Everyone fell in love with Nike's Black Panther-inspired jumpsuit designed for Serena’s first tennis match as a new mom in Paris. But, I’ve also noticed designs from Reebok and Puma to Forever 21.

My rule of thumb is to not pay too much for something I’m going to sweat in, but between teaching and my love for boot camps, I needed guaranteed quality. Fabletics, Forever21, and Target are my go-to brands for a good selection at a price point I’m comfortable and items I can depend on to work out with me, not against me. I turned to Forever21 for this little experiment.

The Fit

I was genuinely surprised and impressed that this option worked for me. My long legs make it hard to find tights that hit that sweet spot for me. I don’t love cropped pants, and sometimes the 7/8 lengths end up looking like crops on me. I went into this expecting to have to send the jumpsuit back because I was convinced the sizing was going to be tiny. I went one size up from what I’d choose from Fabletics or Target, and it fit like a glove.

But, was I comfortable?

Yes and no. The suit itself was comfortable and moved with me. However, as a workout oufit the low back paired with the low V-neck, while sexy, was a bit much for me as didn’t allow for any built-in bra support.

The Workout

When I go to the gym, I go to work. I don’t want to spend half my workout adjusting my clothes or feeling self-conscious about what I have on, so I established some ground rules for this experiment:

Location: I decided to try out the jumpsuit at ZenStudio where I teach. That way, I could give my co-workers a heads up of why I was coming in looking all extra.

Type of Workout: I also decided I would test this out in a spin class. I was nervous “the girls” would topple out if I tried anything else, so my regular Bounce class was definitely out of the question.

Backup Support: I couldn't do this without wearing a sports bra under. This took away from the cuteness of the back, but it was necessary. The back was really low.

As I got onto the bike, I became nervous the people in the back row would get more of a show than they signed up for, but the jumpsuit stayed perfectly in place. It in no way hindered my workout.

Soooo….???

It actually wasn’t bad! To be transparent, I walked in with a shirt around my waist but ended up removing it because I felt like I was cheating (insert laughing face). Kudos to Forever21 for making a product that fits great and was moisture-wicking. I left a tough class and wasn't too sweaty. As you can probably tell, I was more personally uncomfortable, but the jumpsuit withstood my test of being a fashionable, functional, performance-quality option. If I ever needed to run errands or make a super quick appearance after a low-impact class, I’d try it again. In fact, I’m currently dreaming about Ultracor’s Motion Etherea Catsuit. (My birthday is coming up! Hint. Hint)

I have to know, would you give this try? Or do you think I’ve reached peak-extra? What fitness trend are you wanting to give a try? Let’s chat about it, leave me a comment below, or join the convo on Instagram.