Move, Relax, Repeat: The Case for Comfy Workout Clothes That Actually Look Good
There is a quiet revolution happening at the intersection of comfort and style — and it has nothing to do with neon spandex. The most popular workout clothes circulating in fashion circles right now are the ones you almost can't distinguish from your daywear. Wide-leg silhouettes with elastic waistbands. Linen drawstring trousers that move like a second skin. Relaxed-cut denim that gives you the freedom of baggy workout clothes without sacrificing an ounce of polish.
Call it the athleisure evolution — where truly comfy workout clothes are defined less by technical performance fabrics and more by a studied ease that carries you from a reformer class to a rooftop lunch without missing a beat.
The Art of the Drawstring
If there's one silhouette that bridges the gap between unique workout clothes and effortless off-duty dressing, it's the drawstring trouser. The adjustable waist — once relegated to gym bags and locker rooms — has been completely reimagined by designers who understand that comfort is the ultimate luxury.
Brynn Pale Stone Linen Drawstring Trouser
Citizens of Humanity — $298
The Off Duty Drawstring Bow Jean
FRAME — $368
The Citizens of Humanity Brynn Trouser in pale stone linen is the platonic ideal of sophisticated comfort — relaxed through the hip, softly tapered at the ankle, with a drawstring waist that makes it as easy to throw on post-pilates as it is to wear to a gallery opening. FRAME, meanwhile, has done something rather cheeky with The Off Duty Jean: it's technically denim, but the drawstring waistband and fluid wide leg make it feel like the most flattering pair of trousers you've ever owned. The name says it all.
Explore the full Designer Denim collection →
Baggy Done Right: Wide-Leg Denim for the Active Woman
The baggy workout clothes trend has given us permission to embrace volume — and denim has never looked more liberating. The key is in the cut: a high rise that cinches and supports, paired with a wide or barrel leg that gives you room to move. MOTHER Denim, one of the most beloved cult denim brands in the designer space, has mastered exactly this.
The Chisel Sneak is exactly the kind of unique workout-adjacent piece that has earned MOTHER its devoted following. Worn with a simple tank and trainers, it reads as the most intentional kind of comfy — the type that requires no explanation or styling justification.
Discover Women Clothing at Lola Dré →
The Top Half: Easy Pieces That Work Harder
Comfy workout clothes live or die by the top. Too structured, and you lose the ease. Too shapeless, and the look unravels entirely. The pieces that get it right are the ones that feel like barely-there dressing while still carrying the quiet confidence of a considered outfit.
MOTHER Denim — $155
Hampton Half Zip Cropped Sweater
Staud — $105
Annina 33 Relaxed Straight Leg Jean
Citizens of Humanity — $143
MOTHER's Relaxed Knit Tank is the quiet hero of this category — open-knit enough to feel breezy, structured enough to hold its shape through movement. Pair it with the wide-leg denim above for an off-duty look that functions as the most popular workout clothes aesthetic of the season. Staud's Hampton Half Zip adds a slightly more polished dimension: worn mid-zip, it reads sporty-luxe in the best possible way. And for days when you want the same ease in a cleaner silhouette, Citizens of Humanity's Annina Relaxed Straight Leg Jean in soft white delivers understated comfort with a chic high-rise finish.
Explore Designer Brunch Clothes at Lola Dré →
The Edit: Your Styling Formula
The secret to making comfy workout clothes feel truly elevated comes down to three principles:
- Invest in the silhouette. A drawstring waist or wide leg immediately signals intentionality — it's not accidental comfort, it's curated ease.
- Stay in your palette. Tone-on-tone dressing in neutrals — stone, white, natural denim — elevates even the baggiest pieces into something considered.
- Let one piece do the work. If the trouser is relaxed, keep the top minimal. If the top is textured or detailed, let the bottom breathe. Balance is everything.
At Lola Dré, the approach to dressing well has always been rooted in the idea that comfort and beauty are not competing forces — they are, in the hands of the right designer, one and the same. The most unique workout clothes in your wardrobe won't have a logo or a moisture-wicking claim. They'll simply be the pieces you reach for again and again because they make you feel exactly like yourself.
