Most of us still believe we have to compromise our love for fashion and style, when it comes to sportswear. Back in the day, we pretty much had to forfeit stylish pieces for sensible and practical sportswear, but that is no longer the case. Sportswear designers have realised they have to design stylish and practical pieces, and accessories to make the fashion lovers happy. The big sportswear giants – Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Speedo and Nike, now regularly collaborate with high street shops and luxury designers to cater for all, which is fab.

Stella McCartney previously launched a sportswear collection for Adidas, Alexander McQueen has launched a collection for Puma, and even Rei Kawakubo, the fashion designer behind the famous Japanese label Comme Des Garçons, has also produced a range of swimwear for Speedo. The high street brands are not left out of the trendy sportswear fun. I collaborated with New Look some months ago, and I featured some of their trendy ladies sportswear, if you missed that post, click that link.

The fact that sportswear designers now take fashion very seriously and ensure their collection is filled with stylish, practical pieces and accessories means a lot to us fashion lovers. I can happily work into a sportswear shop now, and be sure to find what I like, unlike in the nineties, when we all had to settle.

I get a lot of inspiration from watching sportswomen doing their thing in trendy pieces. Their activewear gives me ideas of what I should look out for in the shops and how to incorporate them into my wardrobe.

Here are some ways they inspire me –

Ballerina Shoes

I love stylish ladies ballerina shoes because they are so multi functional. They can be worn everyday and to almost everywhere, and I can picture myself twirling in them, in my pretend ballet class, lol. This particular wide fit Clarisa by Emilio Luca, via Brantano, is an excellent choice. I love the design and white colour. It is also super affordable at just £15 (at the time of writing). Perfect in every way.

Sunglasses

You all know how much I love my sunnies. I am hardly seen outside my house without one, especially in the summer months. It is more than a fashion accessory to me, it is more of a lifestyle necessity. I am short-sighted, I wear contact lenses on most days, and the bright sunlight makes me squint a lot, which gives me migraines. So having a pair of sunglasses in my bag is crucial to how my day would go.

When it comes to certain sports, poker in particularly, having a pair of sunglasses is vital. Poker players need to disguise their every move on the poker table. Basically, you need to have your Poker Face on all through the game, which many may find hard. The easiest way many poker players handle this is by having a pair of sunglasses on. If you go through WSOP, you will notice a few of their winners have on a pair of sunglasses. The eyes are the window to the soul, so having a sunglasses on while playing poker is smart.

I have my eye on this beautiful pair of Giorgio Armani Sunglasses. It is timeless and elegant, and it will be a nice addition to my sunglasses collection this summer.

Trainers

I love having a good pair of trainers for running, walking, and for the few times when I do manage to visit the gym. I am so happy there are now so many stylish options. This Adidas X Stella McCartney CC Sonic Neon Coral eoprene Trainers has really left me in awe. I love the coral colour (I am loving coral a lot these days), I like the compact narrow design (I am not a fan of bulky trainers), and it is quite affordable at £130. I can see myself grabbing a pair of this trainers easily. They look quality.

Which sportswear pieces are you loving at the moment? Do tell.

*This is a collaborative post.