The Athleisure Uniforms Celebrities Swear By

athleisure - princess diana, kendall jenner — (Image credit: Getty Images)

If you've never heard of a "workout uniform," let celebrities be your guide As a sub-genre of the "off-duty" look—wherein a celebrity is photographed in their natural milieu, on the way to catch a flight or grab lunch—celebrity athleisure has become a street style look in its own right. Below, our favorite examples.

Jennifer Garner

I just love how deeply casual Jennifer Garner looks here. As classic as her red carpet looks are, she favors a comfortable, no-frills athleisure outfit in her off time. Honestly, these loose sweatshirt and sweatpants wouldn't be out of place for an intense gym workout or 5K run.

Camila Cabello

It's hard to beat a matching set! Camila Cabello looks surprisingly sporty here (if you're unfamiliar, her red carpet looks are very glam). Throwing a sweatshirt on top of a bra and shorts set is a smart idea when it's cool out or you want more coverage.

Jennifer Lopez

I love a '90s throwback, so this Guess sweatshirt on J Lo is right up my alley. A colorful pair of leggings is really fun, like this purple tie-dyed version. An oversized sweatshirt over an exercise outfit is such a cozy-comfy look that I'm surprised we don't see more celebs wearing it.

Kim Kardashian

We don't always see Kardashian in full casual mode, but this simple black set is perfect for the athleisure newbie. It's simple and sleek, it works for a variety of workout contexts, and it adapts well to a post-workout coffee or brunch. Bonus points for the matching shoes!

Rita Ora

Athleisure can be the perfect context to experiment with a crop top—just ask Rita Ora! That paint-by-numbers Adidas top is cute as all heck. With the black and white leggings from the brand, this is a nice way to mix pieces for a "near match" effect.

Khloe Kardashian

One element I particularly love about celebrity athleisure style is that it's usually accompanied by a great bag. In this case, Khloe Kardashian pairs her purple and pink exercise shoes with a lilac Givenchy. Is this as practical as a gym bag? No, but it's chic!

Karlie Kloss

Athleisure also serves a functional purpose in the colder weather. If you live in a place that's chilly, it's an easy outfit to throw on and run errands (and grab your iced coffee, naturally). Karlie Kloss goes tonal in black and gray, but the slight crop of the leggings still looks thoughtful and tailored.

Addison Rae

For those warm weather workouts, a matching set is a fun choice. (Athleisure is a great context for serotonin dressing, where the outfit lifts your mood!) Addison Rae's snake-print bra and shorts match her colorful sneakers—but she still keeps that cute black bag on her arm.

Ashley Benson

Workout clothes can be the perfect place to wear a cute, casual jacket. Ashley Benson combines workout clothes with a pretty patterned bomber and Chanel bag. This would be a great workout outfit, sure, but it would also work for a casual coffee or brunch.

Kendall Jenner

Athleisure can be colorful! In Kendall Jenner's case, that means olive green leggings and a tie dye top. With her Adidas socks pulled high with matching white sneakers, it's got an element of polish and thoughtfulness. Also, love that enormous water bottle!

Olivia Wilde

Athleisure can be really, really colorful! Olivia Wilde, who has been snapped a lot leaving the gym, gives us a particularly bright bra and leggings set. I love the small touches here: the matching red sunglasses and the tote with the red stripe echoing the theme.

Madonna

No list of celebs in workout gear would be complete without Madonna. She helped popularize the "going to to the gym" outfit in the 2000s (this is 2007), often in an Ed Hardy shirt like this one. It was still relatively unusual to see celebs in such a casual context!

Whitney Port

Whitney Port shows off a prototypically '00s workout outfit. A long tank and flare leggings would still work in a modern context, even though the matching set took prominence in the 2010s and beyond. I love that she still has her everyday jewelry on!

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez, who takes pride in her casual-chic exercise outfits, is wearing a particularly great example. The crop turtleneck is much more "everyday outfit" (and probably a cover-up on top of a matching set) and the leggings are decidedly "athletic-wear." I love that studded water bottle! And her Hermès bag, naturally.

Hilary Duff

This feels like a modern iteration of Princess Diana's iconic exercise outfits (more on that in a bit). The graphic sweatshirt, in particular, has a touch of glam, which makes sense since it's Gucci. The simple slate blue tights and sneakers are a good complement.

Melanie Griffith

This looks more like a "Los Angeles workout uniform," which makes sense for Melanie Griffith. I love the joyful cosmic pattern on the bottom and simple pink knit on top. As with so many of these outfits, the little Louis Vuitton clutch is a nice uplevel.

Rihanna

While Rihanna is the queen of the casual streetwear outfit, it's unusual that we actually see her in athleisure. This feels a bit of its time (2015), but that long Puma tee is super-cute (and very practical). With the jewelry and sunglasses, she could easily be headed to a meetup with friends.

Taylor Swift

When Taylor Swift is in rehearsals, she sometimes opts for more relaxed and casual clothing—the better to dance in! The long, off-the-shoulder tunic, the pretty patterned matching set, the cross strap: it's all very 2016 but in a way that I appreciate.

Lucy Hale

Matching sets: almost as perfect as iced coffee on a hot day! Lucy Hale has both here; this LSKD set is super-cute and offers more coverage than some sets. I love that she has all her essentials in her arms: keys on one hand, then lip balm, phone, coffee, and water in the other.

Hailey Bieber

Hailey Bieber has good street style, whether she's headed to a chic dinner or just grabbing a bite. This athleisure set with a cropped long-sleeved tee on top feels both full coverage and skin-baring. I love the touch of whimsy in the pink scrunchie.

Cindy Crawford

This is from all the way back in 2002, when celebrities started to get photographed in their most casual of outfits. This outfit on Cindy Crawford is extremely simple: red top, gray leggings, red and gray sneakers. But she imbues it with that inner Cindy cool factor.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Leave it to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to do athleisure better than anyone else! This is a very '10s version of the trend (cropped leggings, long top, contrasting high tops), but the chic structured bag and aviators help the whole look seem thoughtful.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana actually dressed in workout clothes—often wearing the same basic outfit—to diminish the value of any paparazzi photos. It may have had the opposite effect, though, since some of the most indelible images of the star feature her in a sweatshirt and bike shorts. (Also, it's a surprisingly chic pairing!)

Winnie Harlow

Winnie Harlow looks like she could run a 5K race right this second! The simple top and leggings are awesome for a number of contexts, but the chic blowout and sunglasses (not to mention the suitcases) are a tell that this is an airport outfit. Athleisure: great in that context, too!

Jennifer Lopez

No one will ever be better at fashionable athleisure than J Lo! At this point, she's perfected her formula: matching set, cropped over-layer, contrasting sneakers, and Birkin bag! In this instance she's got a baseball cap to tie the whole look together.

Olivia Wilde

Let Olivia Wilde be your guiding light to incorporate more color into your casual outfits. With two complementary colors, she crafts a look that's good for the gym, errands, brunch, and everything in between. Those yellow Adidas Sambas are particularly chic.

Hailey Bieber

Could this be any cuter? Hailey Bieber takes a pretty standard formula—gray sweatshirt and sweatpants—and makes it more fun with a crop length on top. The structured black bag and matching black baseball cap put this firmly into "fashion girl" territory.

Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid has great personal style, and this look is a perfect example of her cool, casual, smart look. This Adidas matching set goes underneath a structured fuzzy jacket and oversized sunglasses—a perfect balance of casual and formal if I've ever seen one.

Karlie Kloss

In much the same way, Karlie Kloss is taking her Adidas leggings and gray top, adding a Jeremy Scott sweatshirt and red box bag, and finishing with a pair of red sunglasses. The end result is the perfect neutral outfit with some much-needed pops of color.

Olivia Wilde

If you've never tried an athleisure jumpsuit before, let this be your sign to give it a go. Olivia Wilde opts for a two-toned version that nearly looks like a top and leggings but is even easier to slip on and off. A one-and-done gym outfit? Sign me up!

Kendall Jenner

I just love this Adidas tracksuit so much. Obviously Kendall Jenner is not on the way to the gym—because she's wearing heels, after all—but this would be a great warmup outfit. It would also be great for layering workout clothes underneath or a jacket on top.

Princess Diana

This might be one of Princess Diana's most well-known photos. Because fans loved her, the image of her in very casual (and non-royal) clothes really spoke to them. This look has been referenced, emulated, and modernized more times than we can count.

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.