Sex and the Sneaker

The invitation requested my presence -- and that of countless other fashionistas -- at a penthouse in a posh New York City hotel. The event was a private preview of the Spring 2008 collection of a mainstream athletic apparel line. In my innocence, I was looking forward to seeing comfy cotton sweats in the standard heather gray, basic black or winter white; perhaps a few sweat-resistant t-shirts, and the quintessential running sneaker.

Boy, am I naive.

As I stepped out of the gilded elevators, I realized that I was stepping into a full-on party, complete with a live deejay, an open bar and several well-dressed revelers engaged in conversation and observation. And what were they looking at? A collection that looked more like club wear than workout gear.

The clothing was arranged throughout the penthouse museum style: some were perched high above us on mannequins, some were hanging in neat racks lined against the wall, while the sneakers were housed in clear Plexiglas like rare artifacts. Oddly enough, the styles were just as inaccessible as the clothes.

Instead of roomy pieces you can actually jog or stretch in, the collection was full of clingy, revealing outfits more appropriate for a night at the club than a day at the gym. They ran the gamut from snug fitting Lycra pants, to itsy-bitsy skorts and body-hugging tops that were cut for maximum movement - of your cleavage. The sneakers were equally jazzy. Forget boring blues and grays. Instead many of the kicks were outfitted in blingy metallic tones, while others were drenched in a burst of fuchsia, yellow and green. For the super-young, super-slim and super-toned, these clothes are nothing short of, well, super. But for the majority of us, average-built Americans who appreciate sex appeal and possess some of our own, but buy athletic clothes for exercise not exhibition, do these clothes make sense?

That's the question that seems to be missing from the design process lately. Browse through the aisles of your local department or athletic store and you will see first-hand a trend that's been steadily building since style consciousness infiltrated apparel brands. From Reebok to Nike to the Addidas -- whose recent collaboration with Stella McCartney has yielded a string of racy pieces -- clothes are getting sleeker and sultrier. There's nothing wrong with the fashion forward design they are championing, but should exercise gear be so stylish that it can be uncomfortable for most of us to wear? That's a question worth working out.