Much of what women wear to the gym, and anywhere really for that matter, is somehow misconstrued as them fishing for attention. It is hardly ever believed that maybe, just maybe, women might be confident in their own skin and wear whatever they are dressed in, for their own satisfaction.
For many of us, myself included, this always felt like a delicate dance. A constant navigation of performative behaviour to blend in and to play into respectability politics even as progressive as some of us think we might be. I have always worn a t-shirt over my sports bra at the gym, until this summer when my best friend came along and told me to stop being so dramatic in the summer heat. Some days it would peak to 40 degrees and you felt as if you were suffocating. The gym bag felt bulkier and more planning was always needed to ensure I would look “decent” as opposed to enjoying my workout and being totally in tune with my reasoning for going there. Consciously and unconsciously I would pour so much mental labour into how I would be perceived, and was constantly contemplating whether I was fit enough to show some stomach skin.
I didn’t realise how much I had allowed so-called “innocent remarks” and normalized rape culture acceptance to settle on me and transform my behaviour. Perhaps the trickiest part that disguises it all is the fact that the policing more often comes from women by way of stares, unwarranted comments etc. It is almost as if we are all vying for the imaginary position of most elegant and modest according to beliefs in which our worlds were shaped and influenced in secret hopes that each of us are right in some way.
But there is no right or wrong way. The only way is to embrace all the ways you feel comfortable or want to feel comfortable over a period of time. It took some time, even after my friend left, for me to truly wear what I feel like wearing. It might not be your cup of tea or what works for you, but wearing less or wearing something that fits much closer pushes me to feel more confident. To hide and conceal always made me feel as if there was something wrong or imperfect.
These are the basics and staples I would stick by:
A super supportive sports bra –Drop the t-shirt if you so please but don’t cheap out on the very basic layer: the sports bra. Confidence is tied to comfort, and you will feel ten times better knowing that you are supported throughout your workout with less likelihood of something slipping out of place.
Leggings – Be it print, solid colour or the ones with the scrunch pieces around the bum area, wear the ones that make you feel best. I personally like to buy them in matching sets because it requires less labour to organise and choose and it makes it feel like more special occasion wear. A workout is a special occasion; it is dedicated time geared towards improving yourself
Jumpsuits – I started considering these as basic staples for the gym because of the practicality .I honestly believe the gym girls from the 80s were onto something particularly if you work with a trainer as the uniformity of a jumpsuit helps to outline your form way better.
Whatever your choices are for the gym they should revolve around what makes you comfortable and confident, as opposed what requires mental gymnastics to attempt to fit in and people please.