If your New Year’s resolution is to get fit, make your second resolution to invest in a new stylish gym kit, and look no further than the new Sweaty Betty Spring/Summer 2014 campaign for inspiration, says Susannah Taylor
Over the last few years I have got myself fit from scratch. It has been a long, hard, sweaty, but amazing slog (I am planning on doing a triathlon this summer) but the one thing that has hugely helped me in my mission is a great gym kit. I know that may sound stupid to some, but something has to inspire you to haul yourself off your warm, cosy sofa to the gym, where everyone looks fitter than you (just for the record they aren’t, by the way). Take it from me - that old grey baggy t-shirt and pair of baggy trackie bums are not going to inspire you to do a round of HIIT exercise, or encourage you to go for a run when it’s howling a force 10 gale outside.
As someone who is a bit of a clothes junkie, over the last few years I have properly invested in gorgeous gym kit from cool sweatshirts to bright or printed leggings, to well-fitted vests (got to be the right length if you don’t want your stomach or muffin-top to show whilst you’re planking), and really quite lairy trainers. Believe it or not, I now love my gym kit as much as my normal clothes wardrobe and I now get as much of a kick out of a new pair of Asics trainers as I would a pair of heels. The key for me is finding fashion-lead sportswear that is technically brilliant and that looks amazing.
A brand that always blurs the lines between fashion and sport is Sweaty Betty. I own many of their pieces and I’m more than excited to bring you an exclusive preview of the new Sweaty Betty Spring/ Summer 2014 campaign (above). Inspired by the great British outdoors and specifically founder Tamara Hill Norton’s childhood memories of sailing on her grandfather’s yacht, the sportswear supremos have used prints inspired by admiralty charts and adorned swimsuits with numbers taken from vintage sails.
There are pastel bright run-jackets, fluoro pops on sports bras and leggings, graphic printed swimsuits and shorts but also plenty of plain colours to mix and match. Technically brilliant, but sexy too, you can find cutaway back details and delicate straps as well as soft jersey sweaters that I’d wear with my jeans as well.
It’s my favourite collection to date - it can't fail to be inspiring.