I talk a lot about living your truth in my yoga classes. Living your truth, or Satya, comes by words, thoughts, and actions. How do you express yourself? One way you express yourself is through what you wear. What you wear is making a statement, an expression of who you are and what message you are sending to the world. I try to be who I am all of the time. It matters to me that I am representing myself the same in the studio, at the grocery store, or out with friends. It is easy to make excuses or throw in the towel on your style or even prevent you from practicing yoga because “it takes too much time and effort”. Really, it is not hard to do with a little planning.

What is the secret to keeping your style and expression of who you are honest, even after a sweaty yoga class? Layering! If you have a few key pieces, you can express yourself with style that is congruent with your truth before and after yoga practice. Here is what you need:

Key layering pieces:

  1. A light sweater or cotton shirt. It can be long or short sleeved. It can also be a tank or muscle tee. Check out the muscle tees by Spiritual Gangster and some of the Hardtail cotton shirts featured in the photos. These shirts are vocal about your expression and they promote love and hope and the yoga lifestyle to boot.
  2. A classic or polished looking sweater or coat. Not an athletic zip-up jacket or vest. Think wrap sweater, blazer, trench, belted or tailored coat. This piece is so important. The perfect coat sets the tone for your whole style. When you find a coat that is tailored to hug your curves and show your body, it makes you feel confident.
  3. It’s all about the shoes! Please no sneakers. Find a pair of boots or booties, heeled or flat. Your shoes tell a story about you. What is the story you want to tell?
  4. Accessorize! Scarves are the best. It is a great way to sprinkle in some color or spice up any outfit. A great pair of leg warmers or long socks can add a sexy edge. A few pieces of jewelry, like a long necklace, mala or a bracelet stack show you took a little time to think about your style. It shows your creativity and uniqueness too.

Put it all together! Start with your yoga clothes (yoga pants, a bra or tank) pre or post yoga. Throw on the cotton shirt or sweater, your coat, shoes and a few accessories and you have style! Go shopping downtown, go out to lunch with friends, run your errands, stay in the flow of life and look good doing it.

Coming out of sweaty yoga? No problem. Bring an extra bra in your bag, strip off your sweaty top, pull your hair back into a chic ponytail (no bun!) and re-layer. You are good to go! Note: If your pants tend to get really soggy, bring an extra pair of leggings. Most yoga pants will dry quickly, but you make the call on that.

What you wear matters. It is an expression of who you are! Your style doesn’t have to be sacrificed if you practice a lot of yoga. With a few simple layers you can express your style, express yourself, and live your truth all day long and feel great before and after you practice yoga! Remember, your style is part of your expression, part of your truth, part of YOU! Be who you are.