Island Style
Fit yet fashionable

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mark Muramoto (left) of Hawai'i Kai prefers long shorts and a short-sleeved cotton T-shirt when he trains at Gold's Gym four days a week. Deodorant and MP3 players are also in vogue. At Gold's Gym, Schantel Hall (right) of Kane'ohe stays comfortable in a camisole top and relaxed karate pants with mesh overlay. Anything somewhat loose is preferred for women. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Island Style decided to help erase the last complaint. We asked Honolulu workout wear retailers, exercise teachers, and "just folks" who exercise regularly what's in at the gym — and what's not — in 2002.

Even the most fashion-forward folks said workout wear has become more a matter of comfort, practicality and preference than any fashion dictum. Still, it seems observant gym rats do take notice of what works and what doesn't.

A guy thing

Although Paul Tamaoka of Makiki dresses impeccably — often in designer clothes — for work and leisure, when it comes to workout gear, he said, "I could care less what I wear. It's all about comfort. I want to feel like I'm wearing nothing."

Tamaoka was in light cotton drawstring pants and a short-sleeved Nike T-shirt (layered with cotton and mesh) when we caught up with him during his weight workout at Gold's Gym.

Local television personality Russell Shimooka, who works out daily at The Honolulu Club, needs clothes that can take him from the squash court to the weight room. His favorites are Speedo shorts that come halfway down his thigh.

He wears sleeveless tank tops so he can get a full range of motion when hitting the ball, but he likes them tight enough so they don't get in the way of his racket.

These also enable him to check out his muscle development when lifting weights, he said.

For Mark Muramoto of Hawai'i Kai, it's all about confidence: "No matter how you're dressed, as long as you feel confident coming to the gym, anything should be OK."

Fitness trainer Kimo Kockelman recommends tank tops, T-shirts or long-sleeved shirts to his clients. His preferred fabric is Dri-Fit. He said it's definitely not cool to take a tank top and cut it up to create the "string tank top" look.

Dos and don'ts for him

In

• Comfortable T-shirts, long or short-sleeved
• Long basketball-type shorts
• Deodorant
• Bare hands
• MP3 players
• Cross training shoes such as Nike, Avia and Adidas

OUT

• Muscle T-shirts, especially cut off at the hem
• Spandex or short shorts
• Cologne
• Fingerless gloves
• Walkmans
• Atomix or Converse shoes or rubber slippers

What girls like

"I'm not making a fashion statement," said Barbara Kono of Kane'ohe, when she goes to Nu'uanu YMCA to work out on the treadmill and in the weight room. Her aim is comfort, and her preference is a pair of bike shorts and an oversized T-shirt.

Jodi Melton, program coordinator at The Honolulu Club, said what women wear for workouts depends on the activity. For classes such as fit ball, Tai Chi, kick boxing, Pilates or yoga, cat suits are ideal because they allow complete freedom of movement yet don't ride up or show anything embarrassing when holding peculiar positions.

While cat suits (one-piece from shoulders to ankles) may sound like '80s wear, they are coming back big time, Melton said.

Jeanne Sims, owner of Next to Nothing, a shop specializing in workout wear, said the hottest thing for women right now is the bell-bottom cargo pants (the pockets are great for locker keys, lipstick or whatever) and camisole top (long enough that the midriff doesn't show) in the high-tech fabric Tactel.

Among women's favorite workout fabrics are Cool Max, Supplex, Tactel and Micromodal, all designed to draw moisture away from the body.

A sub-category of workout fashion called "yoga clothes" is just catching on here. Popularized by supermodel Christy Turlington, yoga clothes are stretchy drawstring or roll-down pants (bootleg or a slight flair are best) paired with tank tops or cap-sleeved cotton shirts with 10 percent Spandex. These are often accessorized with a lightweight sweatshirt tied around the waist for easy access during cooldown.

It's necessary to try new clothes in some of the positions in which you'll wear them at the gym to make sure you won't be setting yourself up for embarrassing moments.

Likewise, take time to select briefs and, if necessary, a sports bra that will do their jobs while flattering (or at least not detracting from) your figure. Check the rear view, too. You can be sure folks at the gym will.

Dos and don'ts for her

In

• Karate pants
• Yoga clothes, bootleg or a slight flair are best
• Cat suits
• Gray, black and neutral colors
• Anklet socks
• Anything somewhat loose

Out

• Striped Spandex
• T-back bras on top, thongs on the bottom
• Baggy, thick sweatpants
• Neon, bright colors
• Tube socks, or leg warmers
• Leotards — or anything skin tight

Fashion faux pas

Kockelman said Spandex of any kind, anywhere, is out for men. He also decried thong leotards for women as tres passe.

Terry Joiner of St. Louis Heights, who works out nearly every day, said she doesn't like to see "anything tight-fitting on the lower portion of a man — even bike shorts, unless they wear another pair of regular shorts over them."

Shimooka said "I've seen women wear board shorts, and they don't belong in the gym." He advised women to wear "something that holds everything together."

Where to shop

There are, of course, the "big boys" of workout wear: Sports Authority, McCully Bike Shop, Speedo and Nike. But for women, there are also smaller boutiques with discerning buyers who are always on the lookout for the latest.

Here are a few:

Next to Nothing at Aloha Tower Marketplace has a broad range of fashionable women's exercise clothes, including Pezzi, Carushka, San Francisco City Lights, Marika, KosUSA and Becca Sports.

Allure at Ward Centre carries Mossimo, L'Om, Elle, Diana 2, Pezzi, Adidas, KosUSA, San Francisco City Lights and Champion.

Arguably the best selection in yoga wear: Golden Earth (sister of Down to Earth on King Street) carries the Blue Canoe line of organic cotton yoga pants and tops in a range of colors: natural, black, burgundy, blue and purple.

While Macy's doesn't focus on fitness attire as much as Liberty House did, it has a selection that includes Marika and Nike.

Health clubs often sell workout wear. Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, Clark Hatch Fitness Center and The Honolulu Club have shops that are accessible to nonmembers.

Melton said she enjoys shopping online at Nike.com, Avia.com and Adidas.com.