“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants,” once said Karl Lagerfeld. If, like the late Chanel designer, you don’t think much of “sloppy” loungewear, consider “athleisure”. The phrase describing the marriage of athletic gear and leisurewear is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of modern midlife dressing. With boundaries between home, work and leisure blurring, it means joggers are now worn with loafers, leggings are paired with blazers, trainers are slipped on with suits, and hoodies are layered over smart wool coats – the perfect high-low mix for in-between trans-seasonal weather.

With the explosion of “to be seen in” luxe activewear brands such as Varley, Lululemon, Alo Yoga and P.E Nation effortlessly crossing the sportswear boundary into elevated everyday wear, the high street is following suit. Me+Em, Uniqlo, Cos, Hush, Baukjen and Wyse London are all tapping into the athleisure trend with an array of casual but chic puffer jackets, cashmere hoodies, Borg gilets, rugby sweaters, zip-up jumpers, ballet-wrap cardis and side-stripe track pants, which can be worn beyond the gym, the studio or, of course, the yoga mat.

Where to start? Trainers, of course. Trainers have skyrocketed from sports staple to fashion statement. They have styling superpowers that bring new wardrobe energy to beloved basics – and let’s face it, they never fail to make you feel cool. Not sure which style to go for? Skip box-fresh white trainers (always a safe bet) and slip on a retro-chic sneaker in high-impact hues. You’ll find vibrant sneakers are a quick and easy way to add outfit-boosting colour; they give a casual, playful appeal to tailoring, midi dresses, jumpsuits or separates and allow you to play around with shades that you might not choose to wear as clothing.

The key to nailing this trend is layering (remember, three is the magic number), which is why every wardrobe should have a luxe-looking hoodie. Full disclosure, I absolutely love my cashmere Me+Em hoodies; I wear them all the time. I wear them travelling, to my Wednesday night Pilates class, the school run, the coffee shop and WFH days (I’m wearing the navy one while I write this article). I don’t know why, but there’s just something effortlessly cool about a hood peeking out over a smart blazer, wool coat or even a casual denim or khaki jacket.

You don’t have to spend a small fortune like me, Marks & Spencer and Uniqlo have some great affordable ones. Last but not least on my midlifer athleisure wish list are some new side-stripe track pants – more casual than tailored trousers but more elevated than joggers – they’re perfect for lounging and totally acceptable for coffee runs, too. Baukjen, Wyse London and Me+Em do some great colourways. Why do I love them so much? They can be dressed up or down without making you look like you’ve thrown in the sartorial towel. So, if you’re looking to shake off your style rut and need a bit of inspiration, here’s what’s on the GH fashion team’s athleisure wish list.

Athleisure: the high-low modern styling trend our fashion team adores