Why the underwear you wear for exercising matters!

November 23, 2020

We welcome our guest blogger to the ELC community Claire Jensen.

With over 10 years extensive experience in fashion retail and Visual Merchandising, Claire is now an accredited 1:1 personal stylist, workshop facilitator and Australian Style Institute Trainer.

Claire's message is around empowering and building confidence for her clients. With a focus on creating a positive dialogue around body image and educating our clients about how the clothes we wear can impact the way we see ourselves and how we feel. 

Author: Claire Jensen, Stylist

Imagine you’ve just walked in the gym and are about to meet your trainer for a 1:1 session. When you left the house, you felt amazing. You’ve got your best active wear on, your hair is behaving in a sleek pony tail, you’re feeling hot as sh*t right now knowing you’re going to be doing the activities that make your body and soul feel good.

And then, mid squat, you feel it. That slightly uncomfortable feeling of fabric riding up into areas where it wasn’t supposed to go. You push through a few more reps. But there it goes again. Fabric inching its way up and up until it’s like your butt cheeks have swallowed what once were your knickers.

 

Now picture your personal trainer as athletic and handsome. A man with the kind of eyes and smile that could make you do literally any torturous exercise he commanded. You push through the workout hoping to god he hasn’t noticed you’re walking a little funny and it’s not because of the squats…

True story. Happened to me earlier this year. I pushed through that session with the most horrendous workout wedgie you could possibly imagine because I would rather feel incredibly uncomfortable for an hour than dare attempt to relieve it in front of Mr. Gorgeous PT.

The health and fitness industry has boomed over the past 10 years, as has activewear as a fashion statement.

Choosing a fashionable gym outfit is almost as stressful and choosing what to wear out for dinner.

However, as someone who loves hitting the gym, I take more pride in something being comfortable and functional for my workout than looking like a #fitspo influencer.

But the one piece of our sweat session outfit we may be overlooking is our underwear.

Here’s my 3 top tips for picking the best knickers to avoid a workout wedgie (and any residual embarrassment in front of cute gym goers / trainers in the process):

1. Fabric: I recently listened to an Adore Beauty podcast episode that spoke about boob and bum sweat - and let’s be real, this happens to ALL of us. It’s totally normal to get a little sweaty down there when working up a sweat. So, fabric is everything. Like all good active wear, you want something breathable and moisture-wicking/absorbing. Natural fibers are your best friend here. Everyday Lingerie Co’s underwear range are the perfect example, made from sustainably sourced bamboo. A no brainer if you ask me.
2. Coverage: Now this comes down to personal preference. Personally, I’ve never been a G-string girl. I like something that gives me a bit more coverage across the booty. But essentially, all butts are shaped differently. So, choose a style that fits yours properly, is comfortable and won’t ride up after a few moves. If you’re trying on in a store, try and walk a few paces in the fitting room to check that there’s no chance they’ll wriggly their way into unwanted territory.
3. Rise: Choose a knicker that has a strong waist band and decent rise (how high or low it sits on your waist or hips). While I hope low rise jeans never come back into fashion, if this is your go to style of undie- good for you! I personally find the higher the rise styles to be more secure. What I love about the ELC waist band is how high it sits, but also, it’s firm against my body. It will never slip down - not even mid burpee. Trust me. And that can ensure everything else stays in the right place.

Something else to consider when picking your workout ensemble is the type and quality of workout leggings you’re wearing. If you’re not currently “bend” or squat testing your leggings when you purchase, start. Leggings shouldn’t go sheer as you bend and move and no one else on the gym floor should know what colour or kind of knickers you have on that day 😉.

On a final note, I’ll say this - while the gym isn’t a fashion runway, if wearing a great outfit makes you feel good, do it! But take a moment to think about your delicates and their impact on your session. That way you can focus on how cute your trainer is and not the fact you’d love to run, albeit awkwardly, into the bathroom to unpick the worst wedgie you’ve ever had in your life.

To learn more about Claire Jensen and her world of styling follow her at @Clairejensenstyle on Instagram or visit her website www.clairejensenstyle.com

Don't forget to check out Claire's previous blog article for ELC, Date Night Style - Making a great first impression

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