No pain, no gain applies only to barbells. In fashion, no need to sacrifice comfort for the joy of great style.

By Maureen Mancini Amaturo

No pain, no gain applies only to barbells. In fashion, no need to sacrifice comfort for the joy of great style. Looking good and feeling good at the same time is a total can-do. There are always options. It’s a matter of choosing chic over complacent. Save your drawstring-waist PJ pants for a heart-tugging movie on the Hallmark Channel. There’s a reason fashion categorizes garments as underwear and outerwear. When you leave the house, better that your style looks easy not eccentric. You can have it all.

 

>Instead of Pajama Pants, try stretch denim jeans in a dark color. They move with you–usually contain around 4% spandex so they are not as restricting as traditional denim — and the dark color looks dressy.

 

Option: Leather or synthetic leather leggings. In a chic fabrication, they look smart and edgy. Try them with a tee and jacket or an oversized sweater.

>For a Fast, Pulled-Together Look, a jersey knit maxi skirt, soft, flowy, and forgiving. Choose one with a fitted, fold-over waist for figure definition. Pair it with a fitted sweater or tee, a denim or leather jacket, and flats or low-heeled boots. Easy and done.

>An Alternate for the Office, snuggle in a sweater dress instead of a stiff suit. Polished, conservative, but comfy. Great with tall boots or heels.

>In Place of High Heels, try high-heeled boots. You’ll have more ankle support, and you still get that long, lean look that comes from stilettos. Bonus: You can wear boots with cushiony, cozy socks, any wacky pattern you choose. Who’s gonna know? Wedges are another great option, and easier to walk in than heels. They elongate the leg and bring a whole different vibe to a sweater and leggings.

>As a Substitute for Sneakers, slip into a ballet flat, especially one with memory foam (Tory Burch makes a popular comfy version.) Walk a lot? Worth inserting an arch support in flats to relieve the stress on foot muscles. Option #2: loafers. They can be more comfortable, because they are wider in the toe area. And because they have a more structure, there’s more support.

>Replace a Sweatshirt with an oversized sweater, turtleneck, crew neck, or V-neck soft sweater.

>In Lieu of Layers, which can look sloppy and need to coordinate, wrap yourself in a knit waterfall cardigan or jacket. Comfy, loose, but hides everything underneath and has a smooth look.

>Rather Than Mismatched Colors, go monotone, especially head-to-toe black.

>Better Than Braless, try a sports bra. The Nike Pro Compression Sports Bra (about $30) has had a lot of very happy reviews.  

>Always Accessorize. Add a statement necklace to a T-shirt or sweater. A scarf. A stack of bangles. Interest and focal points will take comfy to creative and add pizzazz to plain.

>No Naked Lips. A swipe of lip color, especially red lipstick, livens your face and takes no effort to make a big difference in your appearance. You can trick people into thinking you’re more dressed up than you are.

 

1. Waterfall wrap sweater at Weezie D.

2. Tory Burch ballet flats

3. High-waist, leggings in dark wash  

4. In place of high

6.  heels…

5. Oversized houndstooth-patterned sweater   

6. A swipe of lip color, Christian Dior in Trafalgar