Sports Luxe

Sports luxe is something of a terrifying concept for a person as floral as I am. Well, the sports part anyway. It makes me break into a minor sweat and gives me a slight headache. I’ll go as far as a sweatshirt, but where bottoms are concerned, I’ve never sported (sorry) a trouser or skirt inspired by this particular genre.

However, sports luxe has officially passed the point of  a short-lived fad and has woven itself firmly into sartorial culture. Take Celine’s slip on skater shoe worn with slinky trousers and a shirt. Or the endless Nike/New Balance/Adidas trainers we now wear with just about everything. It’s not going away, so it needs to be embraced.

I was helped along on my journey at a John Lewis blogger styling session this week which offered up sport-luxe themed delights from the likes of Warehouse, Whistles, Kin, Mint Velvet and Toast. Now if John Lewis can do sports luxe, it can’t be too scary, right?

Bloggers including Shiny Thoughts, Laura’s Little Locket, Glitz & Grime and Little Winter mixed, matched and styled to perfection. A standout piece was a sheer trench by Mint Velvet which looked beautiful layered over an otherwise plain black ensemble. It also took the prize for the most impractical coat I’ve ever encountered (a mere wisp of inconsequential fabric) which also made it one of the best in my book. Equally impractical yet hugely elegant was a Jigsaw cream sheer bomber which hung beautifully in drapes front and back when zipped up. A bomber works perfectly with the slightly elevated waist of a pair of slinky drawstring trousers and an elegant heeled sandal. The perfect Spring/Summer cover up.

Of course where sports luxe is concerned there’s the fairly major matter of the wedge trainer. How do we feel? It’s definitely a Marmite situation but I’m warming significantly to this odd, hybrid shoe. It’s misunderstood and that makes it likeable. Of course the best of the bunch will always be Isabel Marant’s original (everything else pales into insignificance) but for those of us not quite into the trend enough to spend an entire month’s wages buying into it, there are good alternatives. Standouts are these Ash beauties which come in a plethora of colours and won’t stretch the wallet too much.

Its not all about the wedge trainer though. How about this elegant ankle strap model from Kin? Or for a comfy option try a slip on trainer, as seen just about everywhere this season.

So perhaps the whole prospect isn’t so terrifying after all? I’ve stopped sweating and I’m browsing wedge trainers. I must be cured.