Colors & Curves: 3 Tips To Consider Before Buying Your Next Workout Outfit That Will Help Build Your Self-Confidence At The Gym

Now, I’m not one that likes to workout at all.

I don’t like to sweat, I don’t wanna breathe hard, I don’t wanna be mad because I forgot my water bottle, and I damn sure don’t want my hair getting messed up!

But even with all that said, I know that exercise is good for my mental and physical well being. So, I do it.

Plus, it just gives me another reason to shop, and treat myself to a cute workout outfit or two :))

But if you're like me, then I'm sure you know that shopping as a plus size queen can definitely come with its difficulties, and the same is very much true for buying workout clothes.

So for this week, I wanted to share with you 3 tips to consider before buying your next workout outfit to help build your self-confidence at the gym.

So think of this as Erika's new workout (shopping) plan.

1. Buy Workout Clothes That Are Purely Meant For Working Out

I like to call this the "find and assign" method. So in order to get into the right frame of mind when working out, and really giving it your all, you need to start with your attire. You don’t want to just grab any old shirt or bottom that’s convenient because you might be hesitant to run harder, jump higher, or push further due to discomfort or fear of ruining a graphic tee that you really love. And all of that extra worry is just energy that you could be putting into your workout. If you have specific pieces that are designated just for exercising you won’t be concerned about the wear and tear of the clothes, and it will allow you to put your energy into the right places, and be more present in your workout. Not to mention that it will cut down the time that you have to spend looking for what to wear at the gym because you'll have a smaller pool of designated options to choose from.

For instance, I recently tried a Hooping class at the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. Now I didn’t have any idea of what I was getting into because I’ve never hula hooped before. But wearing my matching two piece geometric lined workout outfit allowed me to feel cute, comfortable, and unconfined throughout the class, which helped boost my confidence because I knew I'd be able to move around more, and push myself throughout the class, and not waste energy worrying about ruining my clothes. My workout outfit allowed me to maintain my focus on the class, and not worrying about my clothes. This then helped me have the right mindset, and attitude about exercising, and made me eager to workout (and show off my outfit).

2. Be #UnapologeticallyFashionable and Affordable

So now that you see that it's helpful to designate certain clothing for exercising, you get to do one of my all time favorite things... SHOP!!!!

Queens, I know it’s hard to find workout items that are meant for us, especially when these plus size fashion companies think that big girl clothes should equal big prices. What a f*$%#ing joke!

And it sucks because overspending money that you know you shouldn't can definitely mess with your self-confidence. I know for me feeling broke can lead to feelings of inadequacy for not having enough, and stress, and can inhibit your self-confidence. And it definitely doesn't help your self-confidence when you know that you are being asked to spend more just because of your size.

But wearing cheaply made workout clothes also isn't great because they don't last very long, and you might end up spending more money on them in the long run. And then as I mentioned before, wearing clothes that aren't meant for the gym can also mess with your confidence/mindset while working out because you might not feel as free to push yourself during the workout due to the fear of ruining your clothes or feeling restricted.

One way I have learned to remedy the issue of big prices, getting good quality clothing, and saving my coins is by shopping in the sale/clearance sections. Because you better believe that you can look #FIERCE, and be #CONFIDENT while on a budget.

In the sale and clearance sections of quality stores like Torrid or Old Navy, there will be different separates (tops and bottoms) that you can pair together, or buy on their own for an affordable price. In the pictures below, you can see two separates: a shirt and a pair of short that I purchased for less than $20 at Old Navy off the clearance rack.

Now, not only do I feel confident because I have some quality clothes designated for the gym, but I also got to save some coins... that I can put towards another outfit lol. You can’t see me but I’m dabbing.

3.  Don't Forget To Look At The Type Of Material Of Your Clothing

Comfort is a MUST when it comes to feeling confident while working out. Like I said before, you don't want to waste energy worrying about something falling down, adjusting this/that, or being concerned about sweat stains while exercising.

When shopping for your affordable designated workout items you want to think about FABRICS. Before I started purposefully purchasing exercise clothes, I would usually  throw on a cotton t-shirt and cotton sweatpants, and be like cool.

But HAHA, cool is never how I felt while exercising. Cotton is the type of fabric that locks in moisture and becomes heavy when damp/wet. Don’t nobody wanna look like a wet limp clump of seaweed that just came out the ocean.

So I recommend purchasing workout clothes that are QUICK DRYING. Quick drying fabrics pull the sweat from your body to the top of your clothing therefore allowing your clothes to dry quickly. Bibbidi- bobbidi- boo, Wetness be gone!

So that's all for this week! If you like what you read, please  like, comment, and subscribe to the email list! And hit me up/follow me on Instagram (@Esa_Armaine) if you wanna chat or see more!

​Stay #UnapologeticallyFierce and  fashionable out there, Queens!