Have you ever had those days when you’ve been working hard all week, preparing for that all-important presentation or pitch, and finally when you wake up on the actual presentation morning you stand in front of your wardrobe and go… “I wish I didn’t have to wear formals today!!”? Well I’ve certainly had those days… several of them over the years! And yet, I’ve never wanted to turn up for the meeting in casual jeans and a top/kurti – coz that, I almost find disrespectful to the hard-work that I’ve put in!
So how does one find the right balance between being comfortable and looking impressive?!
The answer for me, seems to lie in this trend called ‘athleisure’! Athleisure is nothing but wearing comfortable sporty, gymwear to non-sporting, social and casual occasions. But there’s a thin line between gym-wear and athleisure wear, which we need to keep in mind! (Read more about Athleisure here)
So here’s one of my favourite looks for days like these. Here, I’m wearing a pair of comfy gray jogging track pants / leggings with a co-ordinated casual tee! I’ve chosen a gray colour because it’s easy to colour-coordinate, and I also wanted to make it look as formal as possible since it is a presentation-day look. On any other regular day at work, I’d have opted for brighter, funkier colours! Also, here I’ve opted for a tee with a big, V neck rather than a round-neck because a round-neck would make it look more like gym-wear, which is not what I intended either! The gray colour also makes it easy for me to throw on a black blazer onto it, to give it that all-serious feel, while the clothes inside are as chilled-out as I want them to be!
Blazers signify focus and alertness. Because of the construction of a brazer, just adding it to an otherwise sport-sy outfit, gives your body a definition and your shoulders the erectness required to bring seriousness to the look and to your behaviour! But at the same time, while heels work almost like the brazer (in bringing posture to your body and attitude), I’ve opted for casual metallic sneakers instead, because today, comfort was key! And yes… gorgeous metallic sneakers…, and not my running shoes!
My choice of the well-constructed bag, (apart from adding that pop of colour) works just like the blazer… in bringing the seriousness to the look!
However, the key to creating this athleisure look is keeping the basics as comfortable as possible … and letting the add-ons bring the formality. Coz once you’ve kicked ass at that presentation of yours… jacket-off, bags down and you’re ready to chill for the rest of the day!
Outfit Details:
Blazer: United Colours of Benetton
Gray Top: H&M
Gray jogging pants: Zara
Metallic sneakers: Small store called XO I found in Surat, Gujrat
Yellow Bag: Michael Kors
Hope you like the look and try it on! 
Love y’all!
Muuaahh
All photographs are courtesy Sonalee D. (Instagram: @earth_girl_15)
