My morning kicked off with a 6 a.m. Pure Barre class.
Yep, my barre obsession is still going strong. I’ve had quite a few of you ask me questions about Pure Barre. Definitely check out these two blog posts by fellow Pure Barre fanatics for answers to some of them:
- Pure Barre: Tips From Your Teacher (LifeofBlyss.com)
- Pure Barre: Five Tips for Newbies (EatingBirdFood.com)
One question I received more than a few times was the question about what to wear to your first class. For some reason I was also a little intimidated walking into my first Pure Barre class (I think the smaller studio environment has something to do with that), so I figured a quick run-down about what to wear might interest some of you! Plus, it’s always fun to talk about cute workout clothes, right?
A quick note: I’m a firm believer that you should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable during a workout. In my mind, there’s no need to “dress to impress” during a workout and I know some barre studios are known for being “all Lululemon all the time.” Fortunately the environment at my favorite Pure Barre studio doesn’t have that vibe during the morning classes I attend. This “What To Wear To A Pure Barre Class” post is simply a rundown of what I personally choose to wear based on what makes me feel comfortable and what I’ve noticed most people tend to wear during a class to make them feel comfortable during the workout as well.
What to Wear to a Pure Barre Class
- Capris or Yoga Pants
There is a lot of stretching, pulsing movements and lifts that make capris or yoga pants a great choice for Pure Barre. I know I would feel uncomfortable in shorts because I’d worry about showing off the goodies during certain positions. Resistance bands are frequently used as well and might pull at the skin or slide around if you wear shorts which would be quite uncomfortable.
Personal Favorites: Moving Comfort Urban Gym Tight (my all-time favorite), Old Navy Compression Legging (great affordable option), Athleta Chaturanga Tight
More Options: Old Navy Ombre Compression Capri, Athleta Plie Tight (very popular at my studio), C9 by Champion C9 Yoga Legging
- Grippy Socks
Pure Barre studios sell grippy socks for around $14 which the vast majority of people wear to classes. You will need socks but whether or not you wear grippy socks is up to you. I’m a little more than two weeks into Pure Barre and finally ordered a pair of grippy socks online because I was sick of sliding around. (The core work in Pure Barre is hard enough without feeling like you’re unstable, too!)
A Few Options: Gaiam Grippy Yoga Socks, Pure Barre Sticky Socks, Reebok No Skid Yoga Socks
- Sports Bra
Pure Barre is a low-impact workout. While a sports bra is a must on my list, I feel comfortable wearing some of the sports bras I own that are slightly less supportive than some of the sports bras I wear for running or plyometric workouts. I like something that holds me in place and makes me feel secure but still allows for comfortable, fluid movement.
Personal Favorites: Reebok Yoga Bra, C9 by Champion Seamless Sports Bra, Moving Comfort Hot Shot Bra, Balance Collection Sports Bras (purchased at TJMaxx and Marshalls)
A Few Options: Old Navy Double Strap Bra (love the carbon color), Lululemon Energy Bra, Lucy Zenergy Bra
- Tank Top or T-Shirt
Though I am never dripping in sweat during a Pure Barre workout, I do sweat and prefer to wear sweat-wicking tanks with a slim fit. I wear flowy tanks, too, but prefer tanks that fit slightly closer to my body so they hug my core and don’t fall toward my face during certain stretches.
Personal Favorites: Reebok Studio Cloud Tank, Lululemon Cool Racerback
A Few Options: New Balance Satya Cami, Moving Comfort Flex Tee, Athleta Chi Tank, C9 by Champion Seamless Tank, Gap Fit Multi-Strap Racerback
- Lightweight Pullover
A lightweight pullover is something I don’t think is necessary, but I’ve noticed a bunch of women prefer to wear something with sleeves during the warm up portion of the class since the studio is often chilly so I figured I would include it!
Personal Favorite: Moving Comfort Gotta Love It Tunic
A Few Options: Champion Loose Fit Yoga Layer Top, Gap Fit Breathe Long-Sleeve Hoodie
- Headband
This is another item I do not think is necessary, but I personally wear a headband to most classes because I like to have my hair out of my face.
Personal Favorites: BICBands, Sparkly Soul
Questions of the Morning
- What in one item from your closet that you’re loving for your workouts lately?
- Pure Barre fans: Is there anything I forgot to include in this list that you always wear during a Pure Barre workout?
I’m all about my workout headbands. This isn’t a new thing for me, but I feel like a wear a workout headband every single day whether it be to a Pure Barre class, on a run or on a walk in the evening with Ryan and Sadie.
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I wish headbands worked on me, but for some reason they never stay and end up annoying me! I think it’s the shape of my head! haha I always do a side twist instead to keep hair out of my face and pull it all back in a pony tail! That’s not exactly an item from my closet, but it’s a must do when I workout! 🙂
Have you tried BICBands or Sparkly Soul? I could never get workout headbands to stay up either until I tried those!
Some Pure Barre studios require pants/capris instead of shorts – one near me does! Probably to avoid any accidental flashing… Also, I always wear a long sleeved shirt to Pure Barre at the start and end up ditching it within 2 minutes hehe 🙂
Favorite item currently is definitely headbands. My hair is getting so frizzy from the summer heat/humidity!
Love this! Thanks for sharing because I’ve never been to Pure Barre and wouldn’t have known! 😀
My pleasure!
I love bic bands. They’re adorable!
You must check out Sakatah Colors on Etsy!! Rivals the Lulu BangBuster.
Ooooh I will!
Be careful!! They’re dangerously affordable. And super cute. And supports small biz. 😉 PS I’m an hour north in Winston-Salem. We should plan a blogger meet-up for coffees, a workout.. all of the above. Welcome to NC!
I’d love that!!
I think you covered just about everything. Sometimes I feel like I am walking into an athletic wear fashion show when I attend Barre classes. Everyone always looks so cute! My favorite item from my closet is my Lululemon cool racerback tank. I have several in different colors.
The Yoga pants look gorgeous!
I have been stocking up on Capri pants lately! The TJ Maxx near me had a bunch and I just went crazy!! Now I have many pairs of black ones, pink, gray, blue, and a cool tie dye top kind.
The famous hair ties…emi jays!! Great post Julie
I know you are loving pure barre recently but have you heard about FIA (Females in Action)? It’s a bit like the November Project where you show up to a park and it’s a free workout. There is also one called F3 for the guys. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try it before I moved, but everyone I know that tried it loved it!
http://fianation.com/
In Charlotte??? Sounds cool! Definitely looking into it!
In the winter months, I end up wearing my leg warmers for a majority of class…definitely not a necessity, but a cute addition!
From another Pure Barre addict here, I’d say this is a good recap! I was so nervous about what to wear when I first went because I owned no LuLu whatsoever, but it honestly doesn’t really matter :). All I would reiterate is NO SHORTS, and please, please, please wear socks :).
Great list! I love that you’re loving Pure Barre. I’ve been going for about a year and a half, and was addicted after one class! I agree that sticky socks are a must…sliding around is distracting!
This is such good information. We don’t have an Pure Barre studios around here, but I definitely want to try this class on a vacation some time soon!
I would say do not wear shorts or capris that are shorter than mid-calf because when you get sweaty, you can’t grip the ball behind your knee! I learned that one the hard way 🙂
Love my Old Navy compression pants! Also, I absolutely can’t workout without my Canan headband! They’re made by an instructor at my gym and are the only ones that don’t move around whatsoever, love them!
My Old Navy compression pants are some of my favorite workout pants, too!
Love this! I’ve been loving capris lately, and really want to invest in getting some more of them!
I got a pair of New Balance running shorts recently and they are INCREDIBLE. Like, the greatest shorts I’ve ever owned/worn/ever created, etc. So I am wearing them on as many runs as I can lately!
Your love of Barre really makes me want to try it! I need to look up a new student special in town to see what they’ve got! I agree I’ve definitely felt intimidated in “specialty workouts” like yoga and things of that nature. I just try not to focus on it and remember the whole POINT of the workout is to be healthy and NOT pay $100 for pants! Plus, everyone is intimidated at one time or another, no biggie!
I haven’t done a barre workout in a class, only a few from YouTube. I really want the urban gym tights though! I love the color and they look like they fit great!
I’m loving my new Reebok crossfit shoes. I didn’t realize how big of a difference the shoes would make, but I’m much more stable in class with those.
Great list! Glad you are enjoying Pure Barre, I love it! I made the mistake the first few times not having grippy socks and doing planks while sliding was not fun. 🙂 I always wear a light cover-up during the warm up too and always bring water!
I ran before going to my barre class this morning and wore my running shorts. Immediately regretted it when it was time for glute lifts. gah. Will not let that happen again. And no one wears socks at the barre studio I belong to.
Yeah, glute lifts in shorts would be kind of awkward! Haha! I think the socks thing just depends on the studio and type of barre class.
I’m still pretty new to barre, so I try to wear a more fitted top. It helps the instructor to see my form and correct if necessary. Just a tip for newbies! I love barre class…it is quickly becoming one of my favorites!
Trying my first bar class tomorrow; perfect timing for this post!
Hope you love it!
Grippy, breathable socks are so important during barre! Otherwise I’m slipping all around the floor! ;p
Headbands are a must no matter what kind of workout I do! I purchased barre classes on groupon but still haven’t had a chance to go to a class yet. I’ve heard so many great things about barre!
I’ve only been able to take one pure barre class, but yeah, those are the items I wore (thankfully, I went with a seasoned PBer). As my baby bump’s grown, lately I’ve been loving my loose-fitting workout tanks from Old Navy. I bought them earlier in my pregnancy, but they just made me look big. Now that you can actually tell there’s a baby in there while wearing them (+ it being HOT out), I love them!
Ha! I have the Reebok Cloud tank in my gym bag for this evening right now. Love it! I’m really wanting a pair of leggings, but they are all SO long on me. I’m thinking I might go for some Lulu ones since they’ll at least do a free alternation.
I’ve never been to Barre, but I want to try it. I grew up doing ballet, but I know that it’s different. Would ballet slippers work instead of grippy socks??
I recently bought a pair of toe sox! Ha I happen to think they look super cute and I am obsessed with these barre classes (former ballerina over here)
I liked your “all lululemon” comment. I feel like its all I see and unfortunately I dont make 1 million per paycheck. You can be cute and comfy for lots cheaper !
The studios I’ve been to actually require capris or leggings, no shorts. The grippy socks are essential, I did 2 classes without them and it was so difficult to keep poses because I was slipping! I think you covered all the bases here, good job!
-AJ
OccasionallyAJ.com
I love that Reebok cloud tank too!
I’ve never taken a barre class, but that is good to know about what is probably best to wear. Thanks girl!
Always looking for some good capris. I’ll have to check out those moving comfort ones! I’ve only tried one Barre class. It wasn’t Pure Barre, so I’m still looking for an opportunity to do that. Glad you’re loving them so much!
This is a great run-down. I’ve only taken one barre class, but I was definitely intimidated by what to wear to the first class, especially the sock part! I don’t have the grippy socks, but if I was a regular barre goer, I’d say they would be a must-have!
Its not really clothing, but I love my new wireless Sol headphones! So lightweight and amazing sound. I am running in them and even wearing them in the house…lol!
http://www.motorola.com/us/accessories-headphones-speakers/Motorola-Buds-Wireless-Headphones/Buds-Wireless-Headphones.html
I love headbands too, but always end up having to stick bobby pins in my hair to get them to stay up! I dont know what it is! Apparently I don’t have a very round head?
Man, this just makes me want to try a barre class even more!
What’s with the black socks? I took a month of barre classes through a Groupon and really enjoyed the actual workout, but I did NOT enjoy the attitudes and intimidation I experienced. First of all, everyone wore black ankle socks and of course mine were white. It automatically signaled me out as a “newbie” and made me feel uncomfortable. Are white socks not “cool” anymore? Second, the attitudes of the other women, including the owner, were standoffish and I did not appreciate it, so of course I never went back after my Groupon expired. I know the attitudes were specific to this studio, and I know that not all studios would be like that, but it definitely didn’t help with the black sock situation. 🙂
I noticed the black sock thing, too! I’ve been wearing white socks or colored socks nearly every single time because I still don’t have grippy socks. (The grippy ones I ordered that haven’t arrived yet are gray and white stripe!) I think most people have the black socks because they buy the ones at the studio and they only have black.
Target has the Giam brand yoga grippy socks in the exercise product dept. Are black!
Re: Black Socks – they don’t get as dirty either 🙂 I’m a Pilates/Barre instructor (did my teacher training with Pure Barre for Barre) and the studios actually requires us to wear black socks (apparently there were complaints about instructors having “dirty sock bottoms”!)
Thanks for the insight!!
These were kind of what I was thinking for Pure Barre options, so thanks! I have yet to try a class. Might help if my small town even had a Barre class in it, but it doesn’t! haha
Maybe one day!!
Our previous hometown didn’t have much in the way of fitness options. I feel ya!
Are the barre classes more for toning or can they help with weightloss as well? I need both!!
So helpful! There are so many barre studios in colorado and I can’t wait to try them…but I also want to make sure I fit in 🙂
I love the old navy leggings. So cute and affordable!
never been to pure barre but with all these posts about it lately i’m definitely curious! i’ll have to check it out if i find a studio nearby.
Have you tried Fabletics?! I’m seriously loving ALL of their gear – tanks, shorts, leggings, sports bras – ALL OF IT!
I haven’t yet but I’ve heard good things!
The last time I went to pure barre, I almost passed out in the middle of the class and the instructor had to walk me out of the class and make me lay down in the lobby. In front of everyone. So embarrassing. I haven’t been back since. I feel dumb for being so embarrassed by it, because I have done the class before just fine. But I feel like they’ll just know I’m the girl who almost fell over in class. Needless to say, I wasn’t worried about what I was wearing haha.
I hope you go back and try it Kimberly! I’m 5 classes in and the same thing happened to me today. I started to feel light headed and I thought I was going to pass out! I had a stomach ache the night before…I guess I should have skipped class this morning! I had all these different scenarios running though my head as to what would happen if I just fell over, so I’m glad to know though that if I did pass out, somebody would at least take me to the lobby 🙂
i love my athleta relay capris for pop physique as i tent to get over heated in full length tights
Totally wish I could do the 6AM class – so not a morning person 🙂
Athleta Chat tights rock !!
I’ve been obsessed with Pure Barre for over a year now, so I’m really glad you’ve been loving it too! My favorite items Karma Yama Tights and a tank, and when the weather is colder I love the pull-overs that Karma sells. The price is a little cheaper than Lulu and the quality is a lot higher in my opinion. I think grippy socks are a total must (I own more grippy socks than regular ones now!) I just prefer long tights that go over part of my socks instead of capris, even in the summer months. They keep my muscles warmer and for longer 🙂 Don’t forget the new PB tumbler! I love that it keeps your water cool for the whole class!
Shashi socks are my favorite because they’re grippy on the bottom and breathable mesh on the top – so comfy for barre classes!
Pb teacher here! The reason we require pants or crops is because it helps to keep the muscles warm. This provides a safer workout in the barre environment and also allows you quickly to reach the point of fatigue and muscle exhaustion- the main focus of class! So glad you are enjoying pb!
I always love the headbands that you wear! I’ve never been to a pure barre class but I really want to give one a try!
I looooooooooooove Pure Barre! Pants (or capris) are actually mandatory by Pure Barre – they won’t let you in class with shorts on.