Pilates Beginner - what to wear?!

[AHGiraffe]

Hi everyone, I have booked myself onto a Pilates course starting at the end of the month. I have no idea what to wear for this, please help with suggested clothing items, mainly tops. I have sports leggings from other exercise and have ordered some grippy socks. I am wary of being cold as the venue is a high school hall at night!

T-shirt and leggings/shorts, anything you can move your limbs easily in. No need for special gear unless you're just feeling like it. Good luck!

I just wear some sports leggings, a tshirt and normally have a lightweight hoody over the top to start with as it's a chilly church hall. If I warm up I just take it off but quite often keep it on the whole time.

Leggings t-shirt and socks

Layer up. Usually keep a hoodie / sweatshirt on for the warm up and then put it on for the cool down at the end.

But yep, leggings with a t-shirt or sports vest is fine. I wouldn't wear anything too baggy as some of the stretches will be in funny positions where you will end up exposing your bra (I learnt this one the hard way).

I don't wear socks as I end up slipping all over the place but some people do.

Thought that said pirates beginners and my answer was a hat and eye patch 🤣🤣

I wear a sports bra, form fitting vest, loose t shirt over the top (a long line yoga top usually) and leggings. I prefer to do Pilates barefoot but if you need socks it is worth investing in some grippy Pilates ones.

It is worth wearing shorts or fitted leggigns so your teacher can see your form properly.

I'm usually just in leggings, a t-shirt and grip socks, but would recommend if your t-shirt is loose-fitting, layer a vest underneath. That way when you're doing planks/downward facing dog etc you won't have an exposed midriff. Leggings definitely preferable to joggers as they're easier to move in.

I usually wear a looser top with a vest top under because when you get into all sorts of shapes I don't my bra/belly on show. A hoody or fleece or something for the start and end cos I'm always freezing

sports bra, t-shirt (not too baggy or it'll end up in your way, but you can always tuck it in if it does), and leggings. I don't find my grippy socks very grippy but bare feet should be ok. I usually take a hoody for the warm up and some classes do a relaxation thing at the end.

I prefer cotton leggings to my nylon gym/running leggings, because I find the nylon one too slippy to do some of the stretches we do properly.

I’ve always done bare feet.

If you can find tops with a gathered hem - often sold as “yoga tops” - they’re really good because they don’t expose your tummy when you lean over.

BAM and Asquith do nice kit if you want to treat yourself as you progress.

I've worn all sorts for Pilates. I think the only thing that's made me uncomfortable is if my midriff gets revealed half way through.

Just a t-shirt and leggings are fine. I just wear normal socks too, or barefoot if you need grip.

I definitely wouldn't buy anything special until you are sure you are going to go regularly.

Interested in this thread as I have signed up for reformer starting this weekend. My plan was leggings, sports bra, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and I did buy grippy socks. I’m a bit scared as I will be going on my own!

Definitely wear a good sporta bra, while Pilates is not high impact there are stretches and poses where you need a decent bra, particularly if you are larger chested.

Everyone in my class wears leggings and a T shirt or close fitting sports to. Some wear grippy socks, some ordinary socks, I prefer to be barefoot when the weather is warm. If it is floor Pilates you might want to check if you need to bring your own mat.

That'll be fine, but you'll probably not need the sweatshirt for more than a few minutes. You'll warm up.

The key thing for reformer is nothing baggy that could catch in the mechanism (it almost certainly wouldn't, but you don't want be worrying about it instead of concentrating on moves) - and if you have long hair tie it up.

Thanks so much for that. I’ll be walking there and live in Scotland, so the sweatshirt was more for that. Re baggy, I don’t really own tight tops, will a regular boxy fit type tee do or do I need to go and buy something? (I wear a lot of the white Uniqlo crew neck t-shirts under jumpers - I wear M and am a 12, so they’re not massively oversized but not like a “baby tee” type fitted fit.)

In cooler weather I wear long leggings and a long sleeved ‘base layer’ top from an outdoors shop rather than a t shirt.

just put on a top and try a ‘downwards dog’ type of position and check how it behaves!

re sports bra - I don’t think the compression type used for running and high impact would be a good idea, you need to be able to expand your rib cage ‘east and west’ as my instructor puts it. Just something supportive and non underwired is fine.

I wear tight tops - either a vest with a built in bra or a sports bra and tighter vest. I can't stand having a t shirt hanging around when I'm in downward dog or doing cat/cow whatever. I wear leggings too. I have a long sleeve top that I wear at the start but again it's not particularly loose.

I feel really lazy when I'm in joggers and a t shirt - they're slobbing around clothes for me and also I don't really like all the loose-ness.

I do wear grippy socks, but not necessary unless you're doing reformer pilates.

As Errol says, it needs to be close fitting enough that it won't slide up. And also so the instructor can see your positioning and whether you're engaging the right muscles, not flaring your ribs, have the correct pelvic tilt etc. Exact positioning is critical in Pilates, and in some cases just an inch or 2 out can change whether you're working the correct muscle or not.

Hmm, maybe I need to go shopping. I’m reluctant to spend out in case I don’t like it and don’t go back after the already expensive sessions I’ve paid for. Tbh I’m also worried it will be full of lithe 20-year-old Pilates princesses and I will be a perimenopausal midden in their midst, flobbing around.

Maybe I will sack it off now I think more on it!

Wear what you've got for the first session or 2 and see how you go. Not all classes are full of Pilates princesses - there's nobody in mine under 40, and we're all a bit lumpy and wobbly.

And especially on the reformer, nobody will be looking at you - there's far too much else to be concentrating on, and half the time you're looking at the floor or ceiling with nothing but the odd waving foot in your eyeline.

I'm a pilates instructor.
I wear leggings, vest top, long sleeved tshirt, sweater (no hood - hood gets in the way when lying on your back) and grippy socks.tooo cold in halls at the moment to be barefoot.
Layers are good as you can adjust if hall too cold or hot.

Go please go. Hopefully you"ll love it.
I dont have any 20 year olds in the classes i teach. Lots of lovely ladies in the midst of perimenopause though

No no no please don't sack it off! I used to both teach and attend pilates classes (I just do it at home these days), and I also go to drop in yoga classes in various places, and honestly you see every shape and size. Very very few people will have beautiful matching Lululemon sets and I don't think I've ever seen anyone in just a sports bra, instagram-style. There will be a mishmash of leggings, baggier joggers, t shirts, vests, sweatshirts both posh and old and bobbly, hoodies, socks and no socks, you name it. This time of year I'm mainly in a t shirt (not vest) and leggings, with a sweatshirt over that may or may not stay on depending on temperature.

The poster above who teaches pilates and says avoid hoodies is spot on (same goes for yoga) as the hood gets in the way and becomes annoying, but other than that wear what you're comfortable in, make sure your top isn't so loose that it'll end up round your boobs if you bend over, wear layers with something you can take off if you get too warm, definitely wear grippy socks or your feet will be freezing, and just enjoy it. If you have anything that vaguely matches this in your wardrobe already, it will do - honestly.