The feeling fit and looking good fever has risen quite steadily. Today, it's important to remain in shipshape. So is being well dressed. And sportswear is no exception - whether you want to look sporty or just want to be comfortable.With gyms mushrooming in every nook and corner, working out is in vogue and so are gym outfits. People have learned to sweat it out and sweat they do. Albeit in style - in outfits of different styles and colours, varying from strong mineral, royal blue and black combinations to sporty whites and shades of red, yellow and classy green. Sure to pep up the surroundings!The first axiom for choosing the gym wear is - wear what you are comfortable in. Given the handsome range to choose from, there is always something made just for you. You can take your pick from track suits, tights, slacks, shorts with T-shirts. If not these then even salwar kameez would do.The second axiom usually comes in the form of expert advice from gym instructors. They mostly recommend cotton outfits. Synthetics are discouraged for they do not let the skin breath. The outfit should also allow free limb movement. Flowy outfits or clothes with excessive layers is best avoided.Besides attributes like elasticity, ventilation, added lustre, fine finish and design elements, you will also come across people in your gym circle wearing outfits with various brands and labels - some known, others unknown. Some carelessly picked from the nearby market and others chosen and selected with care from good sports good manufacturers. Some being flaunted for style and others for practicality. Of course, different people wear them for different reasons. Some wear them for making a statement, others simply for comfort.If shelling out moolah is no problem, then sportswear from sports good manufacturers like Nike, Adidas and Reebok offer classy stuff. T-shirts from the Classic line of Reebok are priced between Rs 479 and Rs 599. Adidas T-shirts for ladies cost anything between Rs 359 and Rs 499 while those for gents are priced between Rs 359 and Rs 599.Users of branded sports apparel vouch for the quality, comfort and durability. Ask Ritika Chatrath, a kindergarten teacher, who works out in the Power House Health Club, Hauz Khas Village. She has worn a variety of branded sportswear and it is the promise of ``longevity and assured quality'' that lures her into buying branded outfits.Over the years, popular names in the sportswear market have established hard core loyalists. For Hina Saigal, a computer student, in sportswear there is nothing beyond Reebok. From her tights, T-shirts, shoes to her socks, Hena is a hardcore loyalist and has been wearing them day in and day out during her workouts at Mountview. It gives her ``great comfort and satisfaction,'' she says.To take sports shopping a step further, some exercise buffs have even chosen to look abroad for brands like Marks and Spencer, Esprit and the likes, to build up their sports wardrobes.Opinions differ. Hitesh Mamgain (19 yrs) wears track pants and T-shirts he picked up from the local market for his workout at Planet Fitness. After having tried Nike and Adidas too, he feels, ``either way there is not much of a difference. Wearing labels may puts one psychologically more at ease, but the local stuff does not necessarily compromise on comfort.''However, the same cannot be said about sports footwear. For workouts, shoes with an arc, high ankle and padded rubber souls are a must. Nike, Converse, Reebok and Adidas are widely worn besides being recommended by instructors and physicians for their comfort and durability.Almost all gym-goers take to popular and established names, there being no space for compromise. Amit Goel (25 yrs) who runs a business, wears anything ``comfortable, like tights or shorts and T-shirts while working out but when it comes to footwear, its Converse.''Sure enough, working out may mean shedding that additional flab, but it surely does not mean shelling extra money or compromising on comfort.
