No White Flags
Now is the time to harness and refine your stylish good looks.
I am a mom of two amazing twin little girls, and they are the reason I live. They weigh heavy on my mind every waking moment of my day. I want to make certain they have a mom they can be proud of; I want them to treat themselves and others with respect; to be brave; without judgement; to have a sound mind; and a strong will. Or truly, just remain off of reality TV and do not blame me for everything in therapy.
From the Mouths of Babes
I am very fortunate to be able to pick up my daughters from carpool on most days. When I meet my children, I am typically in “real clothes.” I use the term “real clothes” as opposed to what Corrie and I consider “not real clothes.” For example, I may have on real pants, real shoes or a real dress. As my daughters and I were walking to the car one afternoon, one looks up and asks, “Mom, why are you always over-dressed?” She genuinely said, “over-dressed.” Bear in mind, I am not coming from prom, a night in Vegas or a wedding on a random Tuesday at 3 p.m.
“What do you mean, I’m ‘over-dressed?’” I retort.
“Mom, you have on heels,” she replies.
Slightly confused, I open this up for discussion. “(Nameless child, to protect the innocent), I have to get dressed if I leave the house. Am I embarrassing you?”
“Mom, the moms are in workout clothes. Can you buy some leggings?”
Well, hells bells.
The Epidemic
Society has fallen down the style and fashion rabbit hole, and all we can see is up. Athleisure wear is the small pox of the fashion world. You cannot walk into a mall, a restaurant or go on vacation without seeing women in some sort of spandex-type attire. Surely, all of these people did not just come from working out? I hear all too often from activewear brand ambassadors and retailers how “I can take my leggings to lunch,” and that, “I can wear leggings and wrap in the office or to dinner downtown.” This trend is pervasive; even local boutiques have athleisure wear merchandized in with sundresses and denim. Unless your office is Life Yoga or CrossFit Roux, and you are heading to City Greens for lunch, then this ensemble is frankly and unequivocally, in our most professional ALG opinion, not appropriate.
Built for Speed
We fully appreciate the need to be comfortable and functional. The same level of ease and agility can be achieved in a dress, denim or proper-fitting pants. Gone are the days of corsets and girdles; therefore, do not throw out the excuse that dresses are not comfortable. We adore the simplicity of a dress not only because it is a one-and-done outfit, but because it is also cooler than spandex adhering to your skin. Form and function is a must; may we suggest after your yoga session or booty-building squats to please change into a likewise Zen and derrière flattering pair of denim. Denim is a huge trend for spring, and it appears more polished than your $100 pair of Lycra tights.
It All Adds Up
Those tights, tank and zip-up hoodie can run you over $300. You can walk into any number of local retailers and come out with an effortless dress, maybe two, and a phenomenal pair of jeans for the cost of a head-to-toe lululemon look. If you can afford expensive spandex, you can certainly afford a pair of real pants.
Here are some recommended places to rock your leggings:
Nola Pilates & X-tend Barre – Kim Munoz, (504) 483.8880, nolapilates.com
Life Yoga – Aubrey Allison, (504) 267.0380, lifenola.com
CrossFit Roux – Bradley Schneller, (504) 258-8452, crossfitroux.com
The Parks Health and Fitness – Bryan Armand, (504) 288-7275, theparksfitness.com
Crescent City Pilates – Alejandra Rosales, (504) 345-9355, crescentcitypilates.com
And here are the experts that can help you look killer in real clothes (as alternatives to athleisure wear):
C. Collection – 8141 Maple St., (504) 861-5002
Vita – 1537 Metairie Road (504) 831-1111
Elle – 2126 Magazine St., (504) 522-4929
Lucy Rose – 3318 Magazine St., (504) 895-0444
B. Boutique – 3300 Magazine St., (504) 481-7199
Never Give Up
We urge you to not surrender to the cult of athleisure wear, and the demise of looking polished and pretty. You need not to appear red-carpet ready, and we are not asking you to put on a suit. However, ALG is begging you to attempt to look like you put some effort into your appearance. Do not throw in the towel! Think of all your style icons: Audrey Hepburn; Debbie Harry; Olivia Pope; Kate Moss; and channel them. In the words of the forever stylish and always a lady, Corrie Pellerin of ALG Style, “Elizabeth Taylor would never wear lululemon.”
Happy shopping and happy Mother’s Day! Put on some real pants.
–Aimée Gowland and Corrie Pellerin, ALG Style