The concept behind the successful “dress for success” books tell us that we project to others who we are and how we define success by what we wear. Now, the focus on of “dress for success” is on job interviewing. But its easy to extend that concept to see that in every aspect of life, we dress to show not only our expectation of the event or what we are out to achieve in life but what we want others to expect of us.

When it comes to women’s exercise clothing, the criteria for a good outfit is somewhat different than how you evaluate a cute evening wear dress or a power suit for the office. But in all of those cases, the clothing has to be two things at once. It has to be effective and durable.

Women’s exercise clothing that is effective are shoes, sweats and undergarments that make you more successful in your sport or workout. It means that your clothing will not become a problem as you workout and that it will protect you, keep you cool if necessary (or warm if necessary) and be “part of the team” striving for the goal of success as an fit and healthy person.

Women’s exercise clothing that are durable will be garments that can hold up under a rough workout situation. In the case of shoes, the shoe must hold up well under the pressure of a fast paced run or the start and stop of an aggressive game of basketball.

Your clothing not only cannot fail during the athletic event, it must help you succeed. Shoes must grip, undergarments keep us comfortable and mobile inside our clothing and outer garments funnel heat away form our bodies and keep sweat from decreasing our effectiveness in our workout or during the game.

Effectiveness and durability are the #1 and #2 priority for well designed woman’s exercise clothing that you will enjoy working out in and that come back with you to the gym time after time after time. Notice neither of our top two priorities were that the clothing will make you look great, be sexy or be in step with fashion.

There is something to be said for how your clothing can make you more confident and able to perform when you step out into your sporting event. And if your exercise outfit doesn’t fit right or is embarrassing to you, that can be a distraction and that’s not what you want.

So make a good look, striking colors or the “sexy cut” of your work out clothing a distant third in priority when you are shopping for new athletic clothes. This will take some sales resistance because advertising and merchandising will try to convince women that looking great in our workout clothes is the top priority.

But keep your goals in mind and use your resources to buy workout garments that will make you a success in your workout which means you get stronger, more fit, slimmer and healthier as well. And your fit and sexy body is the best “sexy cut” you can get from being an exercise conscious woman.