I Tried Dopamine Dressing at the Gym and It Changed My Approach to Working Out

I kicked off the experiment with my favorite color, blue, in a silhouette that often makes me feel sporty-sexy: a romper. My workout was a run-walk, followed by some strength and mobility exercises using the machines at the gym. I sourced my apparel from Aritzia's activewear section, opting for the Golden Butter Sway Romper in Tidal Blue ($78), the Super Puff Crew Socks ($10, originally $20) in a complementary turquoise hue, the New Era x Aritzia 9Twenty Hat in Teal ($35), and my white Reebok FloatZig 1 Shoes ($120), which are soft and springy with a high energy return — perfect for this type of activity.

I really enjoyed flaunting my brand love on this occasion, especially since I feel like Aritzia's activewear is underrated (I find a lot of people don't even know it exists!). The fabric of this romper is butter-soft and sweat-wicking, which made it easy to stretch and move in. I actually found that because the one-piece is of course less supportive than a highly-structured, high-impact sports bra, I was more influenced to slow down and enjoy a less-intense workout. In other words, I wasn't doing sprints in this 'fit! And because I was wearing a monochrome look consisting of my favorite shade head-to-toe, I felt more empowered and even proud to practice perfecting my form — squeezing my glutes and tucking my pelvis in as I walked up an incline.

I tested one of my new favorite Luluemon matching workout sets for a Solidcore class on Tuesday. The espresso-coded outfit included the Swiftly Tech Cropped Short-Sleeve Shirt 2.0 ($68), Wunder Train High-Rise Tight With Pockets ($128), Scuba Oversized Half-Zip Hoodie ($118), Classic Ball Cap ($38), and Unisex Daily Essential Crew Socks ($14), which I removed for class since they're not grip socks. I complemented the color scheme with my Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone x New Balance 9060 Sneakers ($248) to tie together the shades of brown.

Because Solidcore is undoubtedly one of the trendiest workouts right now, I felt super sophisticated walking in wearing these sleek separates. As vain as it may sound, there are mirrors all around you during a Solidcore class, and I particularly liked how this fitted cropped tee showed off my abs and arms as I worked on getting even stronger. I swear I took fewer breaks and even attempted some advanced moves because I was watching myself in this outfit.

On Wednesday, I locked in for a 45-minute intervals ride on the Peloton wearing this Out From Under Bec Cotton Double Layer Bra ($19) and Out From Under Bec Capri Pant ($29) from Urban Outfitters. I like to choose fun socks whenever I'm doing a ride so that when I look down, I catch wind of some color beneath me. This pair from Mother Denim are part of a past David Bowie collab and read "Let's Dance." The varsity stripes on the socks were a nod back to my capris, making me feel ultra-coordinated.

I hate the way bike shorts tend to ride up when I'm cycling, but it also gets hot and steamy in my space, so this pant length, teamed with the sports bra, kept me at the perfect temperature throughout my workout. What's more, I loved how my red separates nodded back to the Peloton logo and even the resistance knob on the bike. It's a small thing, I know, but it somehow made me feel validated and more present. This is exactly where I should be, I thought to myself while pedaling with a renewed focus.

For a day of interval training on the treadmill at the gym, I styled Athleta's Solace Keyhole Bra ($49), Interval Stash 5" Short ($69), and Easy Fleece Mid Rise Jogger ($89), all in the brand's recently-released Valley shade. With the addition of a green Head Start Beanie ($28, originally $39) and my neon New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 ($250), it was quite literally impossible not to match the brightness level with my energy.

This was purposeful, as I wanted to bring the heat and give the workout my all — they do say green means go, am I right? I also loved the idea of slipping back into the matching sweats and beanie for my coffee stop afterwards. Looking forward to this fun "reward" led me to progress through my intervals with a little more power.

This emerald set was hands-down my favorite of the week. If you weren't already aware of Abercrombie & Fitch's YPB performance line, allow me to introduce you. I wore the YPB studioFLEX Portrait Tank ($45), YPB studioFLEX Curve Love 7/8-Length Legging ($65), and YPB neoKNIT MAX Half-Zip ($80) with the brand's New York Yankees '47 Clean-Up Hat ($35), and it made for a look I didn't want to take off.

My workout was a mix of tread work and strength training, and since I was traveling, I was in a new gym (which is always exciting in and of itself). I've tested lots of workout apparel, and YPB offers some of the softest, most supportive on the market — two descriptors that usually don't go hand in hand, particularly when it comes to fitness gear. There were definitely a few head turns and approving nods as I navigated through the hotel fitness center in my teal set. While I took the hat off to jog, to avoid soaking it with sweat, spotting it hanging off the crossbar in front of me was enough to get me going. Well, that and visualizing this pre-workout mirror selfie I had snapped before I began.

For yet another Solidcore class, I opted for the Left on Friday Form Tank ($70) and Kick It Pant ($120) in this gray-blue shade that the brand calls Varsity. A fitted, one-shoulder top and flared pants make me feel most confident during a Pilates class because I feel like the cut flatters my figure while bringing a little something extra to the table. (I tend to receive "Where did you get that!?" inquiries whenever I work out in a one-shoulder or intricately strapped top.) I added my Disney hat because I loved that it was similar in tone and that Mickey's pants brought out the accents on my New Balance 550s ($111).

Not only did the baseball cap speak to my personality (my family goes to Disney World at least twice a year), the ankle slits on these pants were actually functional and allowed me to fully navigate my machine with ease, allowing for extended movement on a carriage kick, for example. I find that little details like these help me fight through the dreaded sluggish feeling at the end of an active week, or on a day when I almost skipped class in favor of staying in bed.

Sarah Wasilak (she/her) is the associate director of Shopping at PS. With plenty of experience in the commerce market, a keen interest in SEO, and 10 years as an editor at the brand, she enjoys writing across the lifestyle and health-and-fitness categories. She has bylines at PS, InStyle, Elle, Refinery29, Who What Wear, Elite Daily, Byrdie, and The Quality Edit and aims to amplify minority voices in all her work.