LIVE THE PROCESS
All my favorite pieces and ideas on how to style them to look chic on the way to, and during class
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Photo by @haozeng, styled by me x
Hi friends,
If you've been following me for a while you might know that I'm a devoted yogi and I practice nearly every day. Nothing works as well for slowing down my overactive mind, regulating my nervous system, obviously getting my sweat, strength and stretch on, but also grounding into presence and just feeling alive and full of energy or prana; if there ever was a healthy addiction, this is it.
B.K.S Iyengar in Trikonasana - Triangle Pose - with arrows showing direction of energy
“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.”
While the practice of yoga isn’t at all about clothes or what you’re wearing on the outside - it’s about bringing awareness to what’s happening on the inside, and linking your breath to your energy and movement ☯️ - it’s definitely still fun and motivating when you have something great to wear!
My personal dedication and passion for yoga has led to a most aligned partnership with activewear brand LivetheProcess which I consult and style for. It's even sweeter as one of my oldest and best friends, Robyn Berkley, is the founder and we've been working/creating/dreaming together for going on 10 years! The vibe we get most excited about is 'dancer-off-duty', as in all the cool ways that dancers layer up, tie things around their bodies, and give it a lived-in effortlessness. I have so much fun creating these looks and it naturally informs the way I dress to and from class, stripping down to a bra or bodysuit and leggings during, and keeping it all chic and pulled together in case I have stuff to do right after, which is often the case in our busy lives. Most importantly, your workout style should still be an extension of your actual personal style.
Last season’s grid. @livetheprocess. Photos by @haozeng
All this to say that I've been wearing Live the Process every day and putting it to the ultimate test - moving, sweating and washing - on repeat. Below, I’ll let you in on all of my favorite pieces, and why, and how I would put them together, mixed with other pieces for a hopefully inspiring to-and-from class style edit. Luckily for you, readers of FirstOption can get a 15% discount, so scroll all the way down for the code! While our thing at Live the Process is our ever evolving color story, from season to season, the most gorgeous tones from dark alternatives to black, to classic neutrals, and bright pops, I'm going to keep things chic and streamlined for this post with black and our signature mother-of-pearl, because let's be honest, it's what we wear most of the time, just know that all of these pieces also come in juicy colors on the website! See moodboard above for inspo!
TOP AND LEGGING COMBOS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
VEGA bodysuit and GEOMETRIC leggings
LUNA top and LUNA flare
CORSET bodysuit and VENUS legging
Top + legging combos
So many options, how to choose?
Lets start with the basics: How do you feel about exposing your stomach?
Over the years and into my 40s, my reluctance to wear a bra has grown, replaced with an obsession with bodysuits - feels so supportive and smooth, so I'm here for advocating for the leotard, or bodysuit, under leggings.
My absolute favorite combination is our hero piece, the CORSET bodysuit + the waist defining VENUS legging, which go together so well with the bodysuit's classic ballet vibes and strategic seaming, it's flattering on every body type!
The VEGA bodysuit is another fave of mine with it's feminine pinch at the neckline and thong shaping, it's perfect for layering under leggings, especially with the GEOMETRIC legging, our first and most beloved.
The SENTI bodysuit is another winner with it's 90s style square neckline, which goes super well with another 90s iconic shape - the cropped kick flare, or the JUPITER crop, as we call it.
Speaking of sartorial heroes of the 90s, capri pants have been making a comeback in RTW, why not for working out too? Our JUPITER capri leggings are the BEST, and you'll definitely love wearing them outside of class too.
If you don't mind showing a bit of skin, we have a lot of amazing top options to choose from. The VEGA and SENTI tops have a slightly longer profile, and with it's self-tie situation, the SENTI pairs perfectly with the SENTI legging and its color-blocked waist.
The LUNA top is the most classically 'athletic' and has a lot of support, and looks ridiculously good with the LUNA flare leggings, for the girl with a million pairs who's looking for something new and fun!
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the highest, and most snatched, of them all?"
HIGH-WAIST obsessed? I am.
The highest award goes to the GEOMETRIC legging, followed by the SENTI, the BALLET (not pictured), then the JUPITER styles, the LUNA and finally the VENUS. Hope that helps all my high-waist lovers!
Okay, so you've got your studio look, now what are you wearing on top? You're going to class in the morning, but have errands, a meeting, lunch etc later and you just want to throw something on top of your leggings and get on with it. A spritz of this heavenly mist from CAUDALIE first to freshen up!
The best-selling Saturn bodysuit is flattering, comfortable and cute, and you’ll love the way it looks with the KYRA wrap skirt. If you’ve got a day of running around the city afterwards, you might consider throwing on the Malia henley sweater on top or around your neck, and this WARDROBE NYC black longline blazer for a smart look that could take you right to the office, especially with a chic pair of SAINT LAURENT black satin ballerinas. Or maybe you want something even easier to throw on like this really great trench coat from ROHE, and this fun, woven sporty variant on the LEMAIRE croissant bag. Roll up your LIFEFORME black yoga mat, while you roll on some OSEA Vagus nerve oil and keep that blissed out feeling with you for hours to come…
BODYSUITS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
I know we’re all leather jacket obsessed at the moment, so how about a cool athleisure-inspired look? Take any of the amazing bodysuits above, throw on our super-flared Jaya pants, or Phoebe-inspired capri leggings, a MAGDA BUTRYM oversized leather jacket, TOTEME knit ballerinas or PROENZA SCHOULER glove ballerina pumps for a little extra lift. (check out my post on Ballet Flats for more options). Throw the rest of your stuff in this big TOTEME suede tote and you’re off!
AMAZING BODYSUITS
At Live the Process, we're not only known for our amazing activewear, but also for our versatile washable knitwear, so when going on about how much I love our bodysuits, I also have to call out these 3 amazing knit styles:
The Eclipse, with its seamless one-sleeve styling, is the coolest thing ever to wear out for date night, and I love to wear it to my favorite 5 Rhythms dance class too! (Flashdance forever!)
the Kyra is the most flattering deep-V halter bodysuit. I wear it in the summer or on vacay with nothing but a tan, or under a jacket or shirt in the fall, but also looks great layered over our GRID bra, for low impact working out.
and the Nyx is our newest style with a mesh inset through the waist for all you ALAIA addicts.
UNITARDS from left to right:
SATURN / CUT-OUT / COSMOS
BOTTOM from left to right:
LIVE THE PROCESS Karis bralette + brief set / Malia wrap sweater / leg warmers / CO white ballerina flats / PROENZA SCHOULER red ballerinas / Malia dress / PROENZA SCHOULER Anneliese organza dress in black or ivory
One and done
Live the Process is also known for its super comfortable and fashion forward one-and-done unitards. My faves are the Saturn (for it's sweetheart neckline and delicate criss-cross straps), the colorblocked Cut-out , and the Cosmos playsuit for its cap-sleeved party-in-the-back vibes. Also not to be missed is our best-selling two-tone Orion set!
All you need is a simple dress to throw on top, like our Malia dress which I styled in two layers, but one will do of course! Its spongey, soft, lightweight fabric is amazing against your skin and glides just right around your body. Throw the Malia wrap sweater on for the full ballerina flex, or tie it around your waist, letting the straps hang looose.
I'm also currently lusting over the sheer long-sleeved Anneliese dress from PROENZA SCHOULER, which make some of the greatest and most wearable dresses in the industry as far as i'm concerned!
Finally wrapping things up with a shout out for our Karis set, which will be your go to for lounging around. Get them in black and white and wear them layered à la Miu Miu.
Leg warmers have become essential for the Live the Process look. Style yours with ballerina flats like these from CO, or a pop of red from PROENZA, and you’ll be inspired to make it to class!
Readers of this newsletter can get a 15% discount at LivetheProcess when using this code at checkout: FIRSTOPTION15
BARGAIN HUNTING?
Love what you see but looking for a good deal? I'm always on the hunt too. Look here for great prices on pieces inspired by this post:
from left to right:
1) MAGDA BUTRYM leather bomber jacket, on sale
2) KASSL east-west canvas tote bag
3) MIU MIU brocade ballet flats from VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE, size 38
4) BOTTEGA VENETA combination trench coat from TheRealReal, size 42
5) PHOEBE PHILO black chenille top from VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE, size 36
6) LOULOU STUDIO satin-effect trench from TheRealReal, size S
7) HEREU Calella Bicolor Organic Cotton Tote Bag
8) THE ROW black leather ballet flats from VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE, size 37.5
9) PHOEBE PHILO ivory cut collar high neck tshirt from VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE, size XS
That's it for today! I hope this post has inspired you to get dressed and get moving. And while you're shopping at Live the Process , don't forget to check out our studio schedule for amazing yoga, pilates and dance-inspired classes with great teachers from many different disciplines. Robyn is always planning wonderful workshops, activations and deep dives for body, mind and soul, so watch that space and hopefully see you there soon!
Speaking of pilates, yoga’s very best friend in my opinion, I want to give a big shout out to my private teacher and good friend, Christina Chin, who’s not only a kick-ass pilates instructor but also a style QUEEN herself as she used to be a stylist too! Book a private session for yourself and get ready to burn! 🔥
Lastly, don't forget to check out one of my last blog posts about navigating the wild world of ballerina flats, which look so cute with leggings and socks, because you know you want them, but you just can't choose... I'm here to help!
Before you go, I wanted to leave you with a song! I'm a big music lover so I try to start every day just dancing around my bedroom, it's been a ritual of mine for years now - whether it's slow and meditative, or fast and groovy - it always gets me going and awakens my body and my senses! Or listen to this one with airpods and bop happily all the way to class.
Remember to unplug from the grid a little before Tuesday, next week will be a doozy one way or another…!
Natasha xx
We can move - FREE YOUTH
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