The “How-To” guide for becoming the most fashionable girl in the gym
Channel your inner pilates-princess through this season’s best styles.

Congratulations! You’ve made the team, signed up for a class at the RAWC, or committed to the weights. You’re almost ready to start training, but now comes the hardest step: picking the perfect outfit.

You could spend your entire semester (and paycheck) curating the perfect gym wardrobe. Sometimes a plain workout set just doesn’t scratch the itch of being the most stylish person in the room. Luckily for you, it’s easy enough to incorporate the biggest predicted trends of this autumn/winter season into your athleticwear.

Bold Colour Combinations

Pantone, the printing company that has revolutionized a universal language of colour-matching, has published its seasonal Fashion Colour Trend Report for more than a decade. Major fashion weeks, namely Paris, Milan, and New York, get a preemptive Pantone colour palette prediction for the biannual fashion seasons: spring/summer (SS) and autumn/winter (AW).

Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes the upcoming 2025/2026 season as “imbued with a feeling of effortless glamour…[yet] approachable and accessible.” Merging this carefully curated palette with the bold looks we have already seen from major runways, here are the combinations you should try for your next workout:

Lemon Grass & Mauve Wine

Green and purple is surely an unorthodox union, but one that works when executed with the perfect shades. Lemon Grass, a citrusy yellow-green, pairs well with the “sophisticated” vintage purple, Mauve Wine. The vibrance of such a green contrasts and complements the softness of the maroon-purple.

Nina Ricci successfully delivered this look in luxury at Paris Fashion Week, where a faux-fur citrus shawl was styled over a lace-lined velvet mini dress in deep purple. While Gucci also played with the purple-lime scheme in Parisian formalwear, they took things a step further. Neutral outfits were accompanied by rich purple stockings and lime handbags or neck scarves. It serves as a good reminder that you can work with small accents and still achieve a striking look.

Primrose Pink & Bronze Brown

On the runway, Primrose Pink, a “delicate and illuminating” lilac-like pink, has been specifically spotted with Bronze Brown, which as its name implies, is a soft brown tinged with gold hues. The stark yet subtle contrast between cool and warm tones makes for an eye-catching combination.

Just like green and purple, pink and brown is an unconventional colour fusion. However, the difference between this and the latter is that the right shade of baby pink will suit almost any shade of brown.

At Paris Fashion Week, Miu Miu effortlessly paired a baby pink lacquer jacket with a simple suede skirt. The look was completed using bug-eyed sunglasses with dark brown-tinted lenses and an excess of belts. For practicality sake, you can swap the heavy accessories for a matching headband or socks.

Layering

The easiest way to style multiple colours at once is through layering, another trend we’re seeing more of this season. Street style at Copenhagen fashion week took this to the extreme, where attendees opted for midi dresses over full-length jeans, neutral tank tops over patterned long sleeves, and sheer maxi skirts over mini skirts, often topped off with a trench coat. Of course, it is much easier to layer knitwear and jackets for colder weather than thin fabrics for the gym, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Try a strappy sports bra under a simple spandex tank, and add dimension by choosing a different colour for each clothing item. If you have a favourite tank top and own multiple of them, you can also layer two at once, allowing the tank underneath to pop out from the top and bottom. The same can be done with a tank under a short or long sleeve athletic top. For bottoms, try wearing your sweatpants low-rise over spandex shorts, allowing them to peek out from the top of your sweatpant band. Bonus points are awarded for layering two colours from the Pantone colour palette!

Pilates Princess

Anyone that took an early-2000s ballet class knows that the “pilates princess” look isn’t new, but it has definitely been refreshed and revived this year. Ferragamo’s SS 2025 collection emphasized dance tradition, showcasing typical practicewear looks with leggings, leotards, wrap tops, and pointe-esque lace up shoes. This archetypal “ballet” look was adopted and adapted into the pilates looks we now see online due to its functionality. The cuts and materials allow for unrestricted movement, while light layers keep muscles warm and dancers cool.

As we transition into the next season, such stereotypical pilates looks have not made it back onto the runway; however, Valentino has redefined some of these staple pieces in a high-fashion way for AW in Paris. Sheer lace leotards are the focus of the look, worn unbuttoned over nude slip-like capris. Femme touches like satin bralettes and shoes with large silk bows add to the balletcore illusion.

For your next group fitness class, channel your inner pilates princess with a spandex base—whether leotard, shorts, capris, or leggings—and a wrap top. For getting to-and-from the building, reach for a pair of flats or ballet sneakers, both of which have been gaining popularity over the last year.

This semester, gym fashion is all about practicality with undertones of trendy colour combos, purposeful layers, and nostalgic femininity. Style doesn’t have to be sacrificed for comfort. With a bit of creative thinking, runway fashion can be reimagined for everyday wear.