How French Women Do Activewear Differently

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You’ll often see French women strolling the streets in silk neckerchiefs, polished flats, and tailored trenches, but how often is it that you spot them in a pair of leggings and sneakers post-workout? Since it’s rare that we analyze Parisian activewear style, we decided to reach out to three French fashion bloggers to get their opinions on the matter (and learn a thing or two!). From what they would never wear with their leggings to their favorite way to dress up a post-gym look, we’re offering up exclusive advice that you won’t want to miss. Plus, we included a curated shopping list of pieces to add to your activewear wardrobe too. Keep scrolling to see how French women tackle activewear and to shop the pieces they would wear.

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(Image credit: Cuillère à Absinthe)

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What are your tips for dressing up a post-gym look?

TYPHAINE AUGUSTO: It really depends on what sport I’m going to be doing. Obviously you wouldn’t wear the same thing to Bikram yoga as you would to a boxing class. Usually I just add a cool bomber and change up my sport sneakers for a more stylish pair to keep the vibe but stay chill.

Are there specific activewear trends that you are loving right now?

TA: I’m really into old-school sport brands like Fila and Ellesse, even to wear in daily life. I have this vintage black Fila sweater that I used to wear to play sports, and now I actually wear it to go out dancing in some clubs! It works every time, and I don’t know why, but I always dance like a maniac when I wear it!

Shop Typhaine's activewear style:

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(Image credit: La Revue de Kenza)

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Do you have any go-to activewear pieces?

KENZA SADOUN-EL GLAOUI: Of course! I wear loose T-shirts, hoodies, leggings, backpacks, and sneakers—even in town. Luckily I don’t sweat that much, so often after the gym I stay in my leggings and sneakers. I only change my shirt and my sweater for a more sophisticated pullover like a turtleneck. And in general, I only wear black leggings.

What is something you would never wear with your workout leggings?

KSG: I definitely would never wear heels with my leggings. In Paris, wearing leggings during the day is absolutely not chic, so if I do it, I’d rather already have on a sporty outfit—one with sneakers.

Is activewear really even something that French women wear on a regular basis? Or is it strictly a gym-only look?

KSG: If you compare the cities of Paris and Los Angeles, for example, this type of clothing doesn’t have much success here. If you see a woman in sweatpants and a sweatshirt in Paris, it shows that she either didn’t want to make any effort or, on the contrary, that she has a very distinctive style and she owns it. Here in France, we tend to only wear a few activewear pieces at a time—not a sporty total look.

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Shop Kenza's activewear style:

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(Image credit: Tokyobanhbao)

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Shop Tokyobanhbao's activewear style:

Do you frequently incorporate activewear into your everyday look?

TOKYOBANHBAO: Even if at the moment I’m not working out a ton, I love using certain pieces of activewear to create a more preppy everyday look. For example, I will wear sneakers with track pants and a blazer!

This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Editorial Director

Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Wear and has worked at the company for over eight years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Kaia Gerber, Normani, and Kristen Stewart.

She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, Milan, and Paris, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Elle. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.