Pilates clothing: The Basics

What to wear to a Pilates training? Are there any particular Pilates clothes that you need? We all know that there are yoga pants and jogging shoes; and we are all wondering is there such thing as a Pilates uniform?

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There is no such thing as a true Pilates pants or a Pilates top. However, professional Pilates trainers always give these three simple guidelines that you need to consider when shopping for Pilates clothes.

Pilates clothing is:

• Comfortable
• Fitted (or at least not too loose)
• Modest (especially when you are not practicing at home)

Here you can get some insight into what kind of Pilates clothing might suit you best.

First, you have to be comfortable. If your Pilates clothes don't make you feel relaxed than you will probably be more hesitant to perform certain exercises. The most important thing in Pilates is that your mind is able to focus on the exercise and the breathing which also means that you allow your arms and legs the freedom to stretch and move.

So if your top has a cute heart-shaped metal clasp on the back you might want to consider the fact that – while being so fashionable and sexy – it would really hurt if you were to lay on it for a while. Similar are the pants better left without any buttons, tight elastics or drawstrings that would make some Pilates exercises extremely uncomfortable.

Second, it is very important that you are able to control every movement you make and you can only do that with fitted clothes that are relatively body revealing. This way you (or your instructor) can always keep an eye on your alignment. That is why it is very wise not to wear a loose T-shirt and baggy pants, because you won’t be able to control your movements and perform your exercises correctly.

And last but not least, unless you’re practicing nude Pilates, you have to consider the third factor: modesty. Although the Pilates workout clothes need to be form fitting you should always bear in mind that you are there for the workout. If you are a lady who likes to show a little cleavage remember that you would have to move around and when things don’t stay put you will probably be more concerned about covering yourself up than about Pilates. The same goes for the pants. Make sure that the fabric and the waist-length fit to your body even when you are splitting your legs or throwing them over your head.

This of course doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look good in what you choose to wear. Many clothes vendors such as Fila, Nike, Lucy, Hyde etc. offer a wide variety of fashionable workout clothes that are functional as well.