Gym Newbie - what to wear

[AquaSky]

Thinking of joining the gym, but my main problem is having nothing to wear for it! I am not a typical 'gym/sports/casual' wear kind of girl. I feel underdressed in flat shoes and i'm uncomfortable without makeup. I wore trainers once meeting a friend and she couldn't believe it, cause its not something i'd ever usually wear.

I have never owned anything 'branded' and I wouldn't say its something I care much about, however I don't want to look unstylish at the gym. (Which sounds silly because i'm there to work out and its not a fashion show)

What trainers should I be looking at? Brands? Puma? New Balance? Adidas? Nike?

Tops, where can I buy a nice top. Hoodie, preferably ones that zip up at the front all the way so I can wear it open.

I have leggings so that isn't a problem.

You need a decent sports bra, a pair of leggings or shorts and T-shirt or vest top, ideally in technical fabric. You definitely don’t need a hoodie or you’re not working hard enough! Trainers depends on what you’ll be doing. I wear different shoes for weights (flat, minimal cushioning) to if I’m doing cardio when I’d wear my running shoes.
at my current gym the trend seems to be the less clothes the better, crop tops preferred, fake tan, lashes and most of the session spent on the phone rather than doing exercise so I guess it depends what your motives are. I couldn’t give a what I look like, I’m there to work out and go home.

I am in the USA and usually wear Athleta but don't know if it's available in the UK . I have about 3 items I love so much I have in a range colors and wear on rotation. As I have an hour glass figure I prefer boot cut leggings, then tanks of various designs and colors over a sports bra and a hooded jacket made from sweatshirt material which is shaped for a woman's body.
https://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=981683002&vid=1&&searchText=Leggings#pdp-page-content

https://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=486251112&cid=1017102&pcid=1017102&vid=1#pdp-page-content
My trainers are Hokas in various colors. I also wear shorts and t shirts when it's hot from Brooks which have a fantastic fit for women.

I wear the hoodie to and from the gym, not when working out. I have a couple in white as they go with absolutely everything! I love them.

My advice for a warm layer would be not a hoodless fleece or a sweatshirt, the hood will get in the way of any exercise on the back. Get yourself a pretty water bottle.

Hokas. So, so comfortable.
https://www.hoka.com/en/gb/

Trainers depend on what activity you are doing at the gym.

Zip up hoodie is a good idea to put on after you train/to get there but you don't want an open unzipped hoodie flapping around when you are trying to exercise.
A good sports bra and a sleeveless vest type top is what you need for the actual exercise bit. (Or, if you are very body confident, just the sports bra!)

Sweaty Betty or Lululemon both good but expensive. TK Maxx can be really good for cheaper stuff if you are prepared to have a mooch about in there. You sound quite young? If so the younger crowd at my gym tend to wear Gym Shark.

The kind of people at the gym who would be judging you for your brand of trainers or your lack of make-up are not serious gym goers!

I agree with @Coronationstation, if you're working out properly, a hoodie will be too hot.

So - with your leggings, you wear a t-shirt. Can be baggy or tight, entirely your preference. Gym-appropriate footwear is all you need. If you're only just starting out going to the gym, you don't need an expensive pair of trainers. Go to Sports Direct or JD Sport and choose a pair that are signposted as 'general' (as opposed to something designed for something like running or tennis etc)

I've always found that the supermarket ranges of sportswear are pretty good, and good value for money. M&S have some really lovely designs, and quite a wide range too, although they're more expensive.

I don't wear Brooks shoes but their women's clothes as the fit is fantastic
https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us

I weight train, swim and do various oyher types of cardio at least 4x a week. Often daily.

Gymshark is a good brand you’ll see in all the gyms. Trainers. No one really cares. Nike, adidas, hoka, new balance. No ones looking.

I'm fat so wore a baggy T shirt to my first class. Not a good idea, as when you plank (or try to) it hangs away from your body and if anyone is opposite you planking, or there's a mirror in front of you, they will see right down your top!

I have bought two pairs of M and S Good Move leggings in charity shops for less than a fiver each. I’d recommend looking in a charity shop for some or going to Primark for a top and leggings and M and S for a sports bra.

@Niftythrifter great idea.

At my gym all the fashionable girls wear gymshark or equivalent seamless leggings quite often with the coordinating crop top. Couldn't tell you what trainers. Doesn't seem to be that important.

uk.shop.gymshark.com/products/gymshark-vital-seamless-long-sleeve-crop-top-black-marl-logo

This kind of look. Not necessarily branded.

Decent sports bra is the most important. I wear leggings or lycra, lightweight trainers and any casual T shirt that has become too tatty to wear out in other public settings.

Other than trainers and bra don't bother with branded shite. Really is no need.

Trainers and bra key.

I never had branded stuff until a couple of years ago (always wore shorts or 3/4 leggings and random t-shirt) but I do now have Sweaty Betty vest tops and leggings because I get soooo hot working out and just want to be comfortable in breathable fabrics and yet also covered (when I was younger I'd probably have just worn the sports bra if I got that hot running, now I prefer to cover my tummy). I love the SB swing vest top as it's cool and airy and the leggings are fab.

One thing I will say is they wash and wear really well. I've got 3 year old SB stuff and it's still just as good as ever, and it is used a few times a week. I don't really notice other people.

oh this is absolutely the look the "young 'uns" at my gym go for! Personally I don't understand the cropped length with long sleeves thing though.

Like others have said, footwear is largely dependent on what activity you'll be doing at the gym. I only do weight lifting and resistance training so wear Nike Metcon. If I were to opt to more cardio based exercise, I would wear something with a more flexible sole.

With regards to clothing, layers work best. You will get warm, if not hot working out. Dry wick fabric is preferable. Also, if you are interested in weight training and resistance work, form fitted leggings rather than loose tracksuit bottoms are preferable so you can see you're in the correct position/have the right form. A good sports bra is also a must.

I wear a lot from H&M. It's not branded and reasonably priced. I also buy from Oner Active.

Whatever you wear, please don’t wear loads of perfume or highly scented body sprays or deodorants.

I’d start with buying fairly cheap gym wear until you know you’re going to stick with it/know what activities you like to do/know what works for you.

What works well for weights will be different than what works for running, which will also be different again from what works best for yoga or pilates classes. Or you might decide that swimming, cycling or walking suits you better in which case you’ll need something completely different.
I’d sign up for as many classes as you’re interested in and try all the equipment before making any decisions (if you can afford a personal trainer to actually show you how to get the best out of the equipment/give you a personal exercise plan then that might be a better use of money at this stage).

I’d get a decent exercise bra and trainers and then just choose a few pairs of cheaper leggings/sports tops for now (I actually really like the Tesco ones, H&M sometimes has nice stuff and TKMaxx often has discounted brand name exercise clothes).

I treated myself to some nice exercise clothes once I’d completed couch to 5k and gone to the gym 3 times a week to complete the exercise plan my personal trainer gave me for 12 weeks. It was a good additional motivation and by that point I knew I was committed to actually doing the exercise.
(I chose Lululemon align leggings and long, cropped tank tops- but that’s mostly because I liked the colours and how it looked on me. They are better quality than my Tesco/H&M stuff but at the level I’m doing I don’t think that having top quality clothes really makes a difference to my performance!)

Also, if you start going to the gym/exercising regularly (especially if you’re also working on your diet) then your weight/body shape might change quite a bit. I’d wait until it’s stabilized before buying too many expensive clothes!

I never need things like hoodies at the gym (if I’m doing it properly then I stay pretty warm). So just choose a hoodie that you like to wear to and from the gym.

@Coronationstation I don't understand it either. But it seems to be the in thing from my observations at the gym. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Leegings are a bit on the warm side for me now at this time of year. I'd switched to vest top and shorts.

Stay away from cotton - it's terrible at wicking sweat away. Synthetic, wicking fabrics are the way to go for gym wear. Other than that, whatever you're comfortable in and allows you to move freely.

Good point - I've been there too (and ended up having to tuck my T shirt into my leggings)! Even worse with burpees...😩