Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
How Much Workout Clothing Do You Need?
I was with a client last week, looking at several drawers full of workout clothes while she shook her head sadly and said, “and the thing is, I only work out once a week.”
Believe me, I understand: Sometimes you are in a running phase and then that passes (or it gets cold!) and suddenly you are going to yoga again, so you go to Lululemon and buy some new yoga pants, but then you get really into biking (those padded shorts really do help on long rides!). In addition to over-buying, you might add stuff you don’t really need anymore to your workout wardrobe (“well, I’ll just keep that old tee shirt I don’t want to let go of for the gym”). Your workout drawer is both a cop-out and the perfect example of “aspirational” clutter. You cling to all those workout clothes in the hopes that you will use them. But, as with most things, less is more.
Unless you’re a serious athlete (as in, you make your living at it), you don’t need more that you can wear in a week—and be honest about your workout schedule. Keep your workout wardrobe to a few versatile pieces. You can actually run, bike and do yoga in the same pants. Just make up your mind that it’s okay if the people in your Pilates class see you in the exact same outfit every Saturday morning; the truth is, probably no one will even notice.