18 of the best sporty street style looks from New York Fashion Week

It’s no secret that activewear’s having a major style moment right now—and not just in fitness studios. Nowhere was this more apparent than on the streets outside of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018, which ends on September 14.

Plenty of athleisure enthusiasts were spotted wearing actual workout clothes—plus, elevated takes on pieces that once upon a time were reserved for the gym. For example, racing stripes appeared on everything from high-waisted slacks to cropped trousers to lace skirts—even nails. One fan of the trend, Siobhan Bell, noted the versatility it affords: “I really love track pants with heels—it’s casual but you can still dress it up,” explains the DJ/model. Bell was one of the best dressed fashion-week attendees I photographed on the street over the past week. (You can see the full photo essay below.)

Another cool girl making sportswear look effortlessly chic was Elana Fishman, entertainment editor at Racked, who confessed to putting her favorite pair of Stan Smiths to good use rushing between shows. (“I do love that sneakers are still a thing,” she says.) For her, the decision to personally opt for athletic pieces this season came down to a mix of both fashion and function.

“I really love track pants with heels—it’s casual but you can still dress it up.”

“I just started dressing comfier in general lately because I don’t have the time or the energy to wear restricting, uncomfortable stuff,” she tells me. (Preach!) And she isn’t the only one taking a hygge approach to her wardrobe during the stylish juggernaut that’s collectively become known as “fashion month”—a circuit that includes stops in London, Milan, and Paris. When Chloe Hill was figuring out what to rock to the runways, the stylist and photographer says she settled on “literally the most comfortable thing I could wear because I’m shooting backstage and I’m running to a fitting.” So what made the cut? “My favorite denim skirt and a comfy sweatshirt,” she says.

Possibly the biggest activewear item making a statement this season was a camera-stopping pair of sneakers. It seemed like everywhere you looked, heels were being swapped for trainers, which were used to offset feminine details like ruffles or to give a new edge to a leather skirt. People wore cropped sports bras as tops, utility vests added quirky attitude to unique separates, and sweatshirts in bold colors or detailed with sweet embroidery were equally ubiquitous. And while the US Open was being played in nearby Queens, tennis skirts with matching tops made an appearance in Manhattan on stylish women whose preferred sport just so happens to be trend spotting.

Scroll down to see 18 stylish activewear looks from New York Fashion Week. 

Here’s how to pair your sneakers with everything and 5 genius ways to wear a mesh top, according to Serena Williams’ stylist.