I often see people IRL and on-line who seem to make a bit of effort to make sure that when exercising they wear matching, coordinated “outfits” - often seemingly designed for a specific sport/activity. Others (like myself) just toss on whatever is comfortable.
To the extent that you exercise, do you care about how your clothes look to anyone else? Does how your clothes look affect how you feel about exercise?
If anything, I may have always sorta intentionally dressed down - wearing my oldest crappiest looking clothes. For whatever reason, we did that way back in high school in the 70s. Running track, we would wear the oldest, ripped gear we owned. (Pretty much never laundered it either! ) Since then, I’ve always sorta wanted my running/lifting/biking/sparring/hooping to speak for itself. DEFINITELY want to avoid giving the impression of someone who has all the gear but no game! I’ve been married for going on 40 years, so I can’t remember ever trying to impress/pick up anyone at the gym.
For me, the WHOLE thing is comfort. I’m not exercising to be seen/judged by anyone, and how I LOOK doesn’t affect my mindset.
I run every day after work. I have six or seven sets of running gear: those sweat-wicking shirts in assorted colors and good running shorts in assorted colors.
I also have several plain white towels.
When my wife does laundry she takes a white towel folds it neatly, then wraps the folded towel around a nice stack of a folded running shirt, shorts, skivvies, and pair of socks.
She then places these “towel tacos” in the linen closet in a stack.
This afternoon as soon as work is done, I’ll go grab a fresh set, change, and head out to the Y.
For myself, keeping the jiggle to a minimum is the important thing. And the right shoes, of course. I’d say practicality instead of comfort.
In contrast, my daughter wants to look good. She plays tennis. There’s rarely an audience except for the opponent and parents. But she has a style in mind, and dresses to it. She’s generally practical about it, although she was once cautioned for violating the dress code. (When your arms are down, your belly button should not be visible.)
I do almost all of my exercising in our home gym. So, no, I don’t dress up in any way. I do try to wear certain items for comfort and washability. I’m not concerned with my appearance however.
The exception is the occasional game of tennis at a local club. I’m easily the worst dressed tennis player there. (Although no one is particularly fancy.) I’ll wear a t-shirt and some sweat pants. On hot days, some shorts instead.
I definitely use special-ish clothes (just well fitting synthetic t-shirts that wick sweat and don’t flop around or chafe) for all exercising. Plus special clothes for different activities, like cycling chamois, or short shorts for muay thai, or flexible gusseted pants for climbing, or synthetic inner layers and waterproof outers for backpacking or kayaking. Different gloves and footwear too for different activities.
In the rare case I go to the gym, I still just wear a synthetic tee and shorts. Cotton is just so uncomfortable and heavy once it gets sweaty.
None of it is really for looks, but I’m sure the gear does give that impression just because the manufacturers make them that way. That’s not why I buy and use them though… they’re just tools, not a fashion statement. I definitely try to find the “plainest” gear I can that exercise utility over beauty.
Yeah - I usually dislike the wicking polo shirts - as they seem to retain odor. But for biking, etc, they are great. They take up no space in the drawer or laundry.
But I just have a few of them in a drawer and just grab whichever is on top of the pile.
Everyone is built differently. Personally, I never felt the need for a chamois when biking. And personally, I wear loose bike shorts rather than tight.
I’m maybe 15 years younger, but had the same experience in the 90s. These days I run outdoors very casually and occasionally, and go to the gym equally rarely to run or walk on the treadmill. I have a few pairs of pretty generic gym shorts, a stack of old comfortably fitting t-shirts (that also function as yard work apparel), and a few t-shirts made of ‘performance fabric’ that I’ve collected over the years as merch from an occasional race or two.
I think a combination of more comfortable materials, the inexpensiveness of clothing and modern fast fashion culture, and fitness as a lifestyle identity has had a huge impact on what people wear when working out.
I wear comfortable clothes when working out. If going to the gym, I want them to look clean. I care more about performance then looks. For example, if I am going to be doing squats I do not want to wear a tank top.
I will wear the same clothes two or three times if not obviously dirty, and my level of coordination is about the same as when not working out - a moderate amount.
I wear whatever I put on that morning. But since there is nobody in the exercise room younger than 80, nobody gives a damn. So basically sweat pants and a tee, underwear optional.
My main exercise is treadmilling, so t-shirt and jeans or sweats works just fine. I suppose someone in the area with a telescope might be watching through blind-less windows and be disgusted at my lack of haute couture, but so what.
Other exercise involves gardening (digging, planting, hauling away branches/trimmings etc.), and wearing one’s most disreptable clothes is an advantage, unless you see yourself as hosting the equivalent of Renoir’s garden, and therefore must outfit yourself in the latest garden clothing designs and requisite floppy hat while carrying a trug in which to place your immaculately clean vegetables.
Years ago when I was able to walk every morning for an hour I would head out with some sweats or shorts and a t shirt and shower/change before I went to work.
I can’t walk distances any longer but I miss it terribly.
I can perform a wide variety of activities in public. For reasons I have never understood, my social anxiety manifests as deep and profound shame and embarrassment if I engage in exercise in public. It is not quite as bad if I exercise in front of a small group of people I know. It is still unpleasant. Considering that I can, and have, dressed as a clown, wizard or mad scientist to run daily errands without feeling the slightest bit self conscious or embarrassed, I have no idea why this happens.
If I am exercising, I do my best to be sure that nobody can see me.
Good cycling shorts help with muscle fatigue by compressing the muscles. One can buy cheaper cycling shorts that look like good ones but don’t really compress anything, just like the chamois can be crap in those cheap shorts & look good in the store but don’t really serve their intended purpose.
As for me, I don’t post pics of me working out to social media so I don’t care that much about how I look as long as it’s presentable. I have a closet full of athletic attire so a (wicking) t-shirt, shorts & appropriate footwear (regular running shoes vs. trail shoes) in the warmer months; more layers in colder times & sport-specific stuff as appropriate for the specific activity (cycling kit when riding, etc.)
I have a bunch of shirt and a bunch of workout pants. They are all relatively new since I started going back to the gym regularly. Most of the shirts are Under Armour and most of the pants are not. None of the colours seem to match. For the most part it isn’t a problem since the clothes are stacked at random. I will make a change if I draw both the green pants and the green shirt - they are not close enough to make it work. The blacks that are a little off, those I’ll wear.
It depends. If I’m at the gym, I’ll wear whatever is comfortable. If it is exercise in a social context like pickleball, I’ll make an effort to wear clean, unwrinkled clothes and might even make sure my shirt and shorts don’t clash.
There is (was) a woman at my gym that I used to see 4-5 times a week. I recall being amazed at how many workout outfits she owned, all color coordinated (even the shoes). I haven’t seen her in a few months.
Myself? I often wear the shirt I slept in last night (hit the gym around 6 am).
) Since then, I’ve always sorta wanted my running/lifting/biking/sparring/hooping to speak for itself. DEFINITELY want to avoid giving the impression of someone who has all the gear but no game! 
I’ve been married for going on 40 years, so I can’t remember ever trying to impress/pick up anyone at the gym.