Why You Need to Sew Your Own Fitness Capsule Wardrobe

Once upon a time, there was this petite law student who dealt with stress by running. She ran. all. the. time. Outside. Inside. Morning runs. Night runs. Lunch break runs. She had been born and raised in Texas and was now living in Rhode Island for the first time. She knew no one. Before taking up running, she had played tennis for about 7 years. Her athletic wardrobe consisted of skirts, skirts, and more skirts. Texas heat + tennis = lots of skirts. Then, one day she met a friend. Tall, beautiful, Christian, sweet as can be, and from the northeast. She was so happy to have someone to talk to.

One day, her friend was introducing her to other friends (yay!!), and someone said “Oh, you are the girl who runs on the treadmill in skirts.” To which the new friend replied, “YOU are the girl who runs on the treadmill in a skirt!?!” The tiny girl gasped for air. “Um, doesn’t everyone? I guess not…” It was quickly approaching colder weather that semester anyways, so that little Texas girl put her skirts away and never got them back out again. She traded her skirts for tights (and lots of layers because Rhode Island cold was nothing like Texas).

Now, you are thinking: I thought this blogpost was going to be about why I need to sew my own fitness capsule. Well, it is, but you needed some background. That story seems like a million years ago. I am now 37, a mother of 5, and have not owned a running skirt since then. Last month, when I took on a Fitness Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, I started by making a plan (you can read that post here). When I was going through my list of what patterns I wanted to make, I saw a running skirt and COULD NOT shake it. It was so good. It brought back memories of playing tennis and running. My life as a young law student passed through my head, and I thought “Who cares what I wear!”

Why should you sew your own fitness wardrobe? Because you can make clothes that fit you, fit your lifestyle, and are in whatever colors make you happy. Why sew a CAPSULE fitness wardrobe? Because you don’t have to spend so much time getting ready and have a set of clothes that you think look good together. Ok, let me get straight to the point. IT IS FUN! I never thought sewing a fitness capsule wardrobe would just be so fun, and I have enjoyed sewing one as a group in the Greenstyle Facebook group where the challenge is being held.

For today’s blogpost, I am going to show you what I was able to finish for the capsule challenge. I have blogged about my first few outfits here, here, and here. Today’s additions are my first Pace skirt, a Solo tank, a Lacy Slope tank, a pair of Inspire tights, and a pair of Stride tights.

My FIRST Pace Skirt

Let’s just say this Pace skirt is EVERYTHING. Oh my gosh!! This will definitely not be my last Pace skirt. I hope to have a stack of these to wear all summer long, and I don’t care what the world thinks of me running in a skirt. It is absolutely comfortable to wear, looks like a $$$ Lululemon run skirt, and is totally my style! Bonus points is that it is not too hard to make at all. The back pleats add such a fun feminine touch and also keep me nice and cool.

Sizing and adjustments. My hips currently measure 35 and my waist is 26. I made a size 6 for my skirt and used the waistband for the size 4. I removed 1 inch in length from the skirt front. On the back, I removed half an inch from the yoke and half an inch from the pleated section. I am 5’2″ with a 27 inch inseam and also prefer shorter running skirts. This gave me the perfect length. If you want a more modest skirt, you could leave the length as is, or add length easily at the lengthen/shorten lines on the pattern.

I used black stretch woven from the Fabric Fairy. Black is such a perfect neutral and gets sooo much wear in my closet. There are undershorts with a pocket (or briefs) that keep me modest too, just in case the breeze catches my skirt.

Basic Black Lacy Slope Tank

Next up on my capsule list was a basic black tank.

I picked the Lacy Slope because it is such a comfortable top to wear, works for working out or everyday, and slopes down at the back to cover my butt when I am wearing leggings that show any panty lines.

The Lacy Slope has three different length options, and I picked the shorter length of the three. There is also an intermediate and tunic length. The pattern comes with options for a hood, long sleeves, and thumbhole cuffs. I made a Lacy Slope hoodie a few years ago with yoga knit, and I still wear it all the time.

Next, let’s talk about my latest pair of Strides. Since the pattern was updated a few weeks ago, I have been making a ton. I love the new big pocket, and that accent stripe is so fun to play with smaller pieces of fabric. The fabric I used on the side stripe on this pair is a nylon/poly/spandex textured knit from Zenith and Quasar. The black stripes are raised so it feels really cool to touch. This fabric has a lot of horizontal stretch and not as much vertical stretch.

I used a basic double brushed poly from the local fabric district on the main parts of my tights. This pair will NOT be used as athletic pants because brushed poly is not meant for working out. I would get hot pretty quick, and frankly, they just don’t have great recovery. BUT I loved how this floral looked with the stripe, so these will be my casual, wear at home, go on a long walk type of pants. I am dreaming of all the florals the Styled Magnolia plans to stock on athletic bases.

I have to show you how great the Midway Bomber jacket looks with my capsule. When I was doing my planning, I pulled out  my favorite pieces that I already own and revolved my colors and outfits around those. I did not grab a new photo with my eyes open, but I think you get the picture. I initially blogged about this jacket here.

When I was planning my capsule, I looked for ideas of companion colors that go well with my current scheme (pink, purple, black, white, grey). This shade of ocean blue was suggested, and I am so glad I added this one into the mix! I love how well it pairs with everything.

I made this Solo tank using bamboo cotton lycra, and it has such a nice drape to it. I changed the pattern to have narrow bands instead of binding. The Solo is very easy to nurse in (just use the armholes!)

Last, but not least, I squeezed in another pair of Inspire tights. These are super quick to make, and I have noticed myself wearing them all day everyday. This is an athletic knit I found at Wherehouse Dallas.

My plans were so big for my capsule, and I am sooo excited about what I was able to finish. I got a little sidetracked with sparkle fabric at one point, but came around and finished with some solid pieces that go with old and new makes very well.

I did not get to sew any layers. I made the One Button Cardigan in some non-capsule fabric to test it out. I have been wearing that one until I make one in a color I like.

Resources

1. The Pace Skirt pattern can be found here.
2. The Solo Tank pattern can be found here.
3. The Stride tights pattern can be found here.
4. The Lacy Slope pattern can be found here.
5. The Inspire tights pattern can be found here.
6. The black stretch woven that I used for the Pace Skirt is from the Fabric Fairy.
7. The black athletic knit that I used for the waistband and undershorts in my Pace Skirt was an athletic remnant from LDG Textiles.
8. The Striped Textured Knit is from Zenith and Quasar.
9. The ocean blue bamboo cotton lycra for my Solo tank is from Knitpop.
10. The floral DBP for the main part of my Stride tights, the athletic knit I used for my Inspire tights, and the solid black for my Lacy Slope tank all came from Wherehouse Dallas.

And now for my final collages of everything I have made for my fitness capsule over the last month….

The Greenstyle Power Bra

The Greenstyle Solo, Tie Back, Lille, Lacy Slope, and Jillian Tank Tops

The Greenstyle Inspire tights, Stride tights, and Pace Skirt