As someone who is constantly trying to squeeze in a workout but hates lugging around a giant bag with a change of clothes, I’m always on the lookout for outfits that can take me from the climbing gym to a meeting and out to dinner. But while my lifestyle is pretty sporty, my wardrobe leans more towards casual elegance. I’ll take Kelly Rutherford’s giant sweaters and loose pants over a skintight leggings set any day, even if I’m hitting a yoga class first thing in the morning. That’s why I was immediately intrigued by Athleta’s new Dream Drape collection. The loose, flowy silhouettes offer both freedom of movement and easy, elevated styling. I spent a week testing the collection’s core pieces to see how well they fit into my daily life — and here’s everything you need to know.
Y2K Yoga Style
There’s a reason we’re all collectively romanticizing the Y2K yoga mom aesthetic: She’s not cramming in a quick vinyasa flow between Zoom calls, she’s hanging out in a sunlit studio, unbothered, looking effortlessly chic and listening to The Sundays on her Discman. The Dream Drape Mid-Rise Pant made me feel like I was the main character in an early aughts romcom even though I was having a marathon day of meetings.
I paired them with the Perfect Form Strappy Longline Sports Bra, both in the Nocturnal colorway, and loved how easy it was to move and stretch in the soft, fluid silhouette. It’s possible they’ve ruined leggings for me forever. Plus, the drapey pants were easy to style with an oversize button-down and a baseball cap to help me take the look out of the studio and into the rest of my day.
From Gym To Dinner
I’ve been rock climbing for around 10 years, and finding a great pair of climbing pants is always a challenge — especially since I’m just shy of five-foot-two. Most cropped pants are full length on me, but Athleta’s bottoms come in regular, tall, and petite sizing, which is a game-changer. The Dream Drape Mid-Rise Crop Pant turned out to be my personal ideal pants for indoor climbing. The fold-over waistband was comfortable and didn’t ride up or slide down, and the cropped wide-leg style gave me plenty of flexibility to throw high heel hooks. I paired them with Train Free Sports Bra for a long bouldering session and felt supported, but not constricted.
I was heading straight to dinner with friends after the gym, so I threw on the Dream Drape Tee with some leather slides, sunglasses, and a big, slouchy hobo in lieu of a gym bag. I loved how easy it was to add a few accessories and feel put-together without having to change my entire outfit.
TL;DR — Worth It
All of the Dream Drape pieces are buttery-soft and extremely comfortable. The wide waistbands don’t dig in, and the fabric is breathable enough for warm weather, but cozy enough for cooler temps. I honestly wasn’t expecting to be so obsessed with this collection, but I’ve been wearing the cropped pants so often I’m seriously considering getting them in a second color. They’ve become my go-to not only for rock climbing, but for days when I want the look of a polished outfit but the feel of something completely effortless. I love how they look with button-downs and open-weave sweaters, and all it takes is the right bag, shoes, and jewelry to dress them up.
