While at Project Las Vegas mid-August, as a member of Marcus Troy’s Blogger Project – I decided to step away from being in front of the camera and wearing my stylist hat. I’ve been quite fascinated with how fast the athleisure trend has taken off over the last 5 years and I decided to tackle part of it head on. I teamed up with fellow #BloggerProject ambassador Leo Chan of the blog Levitate Style to introduce the world to the clothing brand – Strand. Special thank you to Naskademini for lending your photographic skills to this project.
The aesthetic of the brand is tailored sportswear with a streetwear vibe. With a strong emphasis on tailoring (button up shirts, tailored jogger & bomber jackets), Strand is a relatable brand that understands that athleisure style isn’t sloppy or overly draped. One of the best ways to introduce yourself to the athleisure style is to perfect different levels of monochromatic color-palette manipulation.
Color Black Shirt & Grey Sweat Jogger Pants – Strand || Leather Rucksack – Troubadour Goods || Black Leather Loafers – Paul Drish
Often, I receive email inquires asking – “how do you dress up athleisure wear?”. Primarily the question revolves around jogger pants. Here a few tips to set you on the right path.
- Like the joggers in the 1st look, opt for a pair with a weave to look more like “dress” pants than sweats
- Button up shirts are your friend, just leave them untucked — specifically with sweat pant material joggers
- Monochromatic styling is the key, specifically the black/grey/white color palette(s)
- Rock a loafer/monk or and Oxford shoe. Just don’t over think it
- By adding formal pieces like loafers and Oxford cloth shirts to a cotton jogger pant (in an appropriately dark hue), you’ll refine it’s otherwise sporty nature
- No you don’t need socks, unless you’re rocking no-shows
Bomber Jacket, Grey Woven Joggers & Sweater – Strand || Stan Smith Sneakers – Adidas
Build some depth into your athleisure look by embracing tonal color pairing and mixing textures. This level of sportswear is inherently athletic, so play on that theme. By adding a varsity jacket in a darker tone of grey, this look goes from gym uniform to a casual, monochromatic day look.
Buffalo Check Bomber Jacket, Baseball T-Shirt and Mélange Woven Joggers – Strand || Stan Smith Sneakers – Adidas
Adding a patterned jacket is another great way to add some dimension to a sporty look. With outfit that feature jogger pants, the focused is shifted to the upper body when a pattern jacket is the featured. Also, when you’re executing a monochromatic look specifically in black & white, adding a strong base of white (see shirt) will break the overall look up enough to not make it dull.
Photography: NaskaDemini
Model: Leo Chan of Levitate Style
