Short of commissioning nothing but bespoke clothing, finding the perfect fit in clothes is difficult at best and may even be inpossible.

Unless you’re built like a mannequin or fit model.

Great tailoring will take you far, made-to-measure will take you closer, but bespoke will hide many sins and emphasize your best features.

So let’s get going on those best features. To wear your clothes well, become a good hanger for them. Get fit.

In addition to all the physical and psychological/emotional benefits, regualr excercise will help stretch that clothing budget. Fewer alterations will be needed, fewer purchases will need to be made. To be honest about it, the only real reason I “work out” is because I can’t afford to replace my wardrobe*. (Well, that and it keeps my blood pressure in check.)

You may already belong to a gym. I did, once. Which is about as often as I used to go. Then came a freelance reporting project about SEAL Team PT and a few years later I realized I had absolutely no need for a gym. While it’s been awhile since I worked out with the team (and it shows… it’s amazing what you can do in a team environment), I have kept up with a routine of calisthenics and light running with OK results.

And then I did the unthinkable. I changed my diet.

The diet to which I have been converted isn’t really a diet at all. “The Abs Diet” by David Zinczenko is everything it’s purported to be. At least it worked for me this summer. While my weight hasn’t changed dramatically (strictly following diet advice isn’t my strong suit and dinner without wine is unthinkable to me), I’m always within an acceptable five pounds of my ultimate goal. And my waist is two sizes smaller, while my upper body and my arms have more definition (I can get top heavy, so am careful about that.) In fact, I would say that I approach the longer, leaner look that I’ve always coveted thanks to the easy shift in my diet and the simple addition of two 20lb dumbells to my workout routine.

If you’re thinking about getting back into shape, “The Abs Diet” (which includes a workout routine suitable for home or the gym) is a quick and painless jumpstart to making you a better hanger for your clothes. Besides, you’ll move more easily and elegantly in them. Don’t forget, Cary Grant was an acrobat and lifelong athlete!

* Full disclosure: my tuxedo is now too big in an unalterable way. I am meeting with two tailors this week to talk about commissioning one. Stay tuned for the results of my first foray into the world of bespoke.

Describing an exercise routine as “elegant” may be a bit of a stretch. I’m a proud graduate of the SEAL Team PT program in Richmond, VA. However, since my two children arrived on the scene, things have slacked off… let’s be honest, I’ve slacked off. Once I decided to start up a routine again, I found that I had no desire to go to a gym. I like to exercise out of doors. And I don’t like to have to invest in monthly fees or lots of equipment. So I took to running short distances, and doing lots of push-ups, situps, dips and squats.

Then my brother-in-law, Fred, pointed me towards Crossfit. Using their philosophy and videos as a tutorial, I managed to get through a half hour work out devised by Fred. I should probably mention that he’s a former Marine. At one point I was doing squats with a 30 pound Pac ‘n Play… . Quick, yes. Easy? The only easy day was yesterday. Elegant? Perhaps in its simplicity. But that’s a stretch….

Which brings me to my latest scheme to stay fit. Yoga. I signed up with Yoga Source in Carytowne and now count Tuesdays as one of the best days of the week. Once a week, I walk the half hour to my morning class and spend an hour and fifteen minutes working out.

Working out??? Yes!

There is a lot more going on in a yoga session than meets the eye. Even at the beginner hatha level. Take a look at that photo again. Holding the Warrior 1 pose for three full breaths takes some doing. Yet somehow I come out of the practice feeling like I’ve worked out, stretched out, and completely relaxed. (Full disclosure, that’s not me in the photo above.)

Elegant, Yes! After yoga, my posture is better, my outlook is sunny and I’ve stretched out the soreness from my Crossfit/Fred days.

I’ve got a long way to go, but the sessions are relatively inexpensive, I think a single class is $10 and signing up for packages gives you a couple of dollars as a break. I even borrowed a mat for the first six weeks before finally buying one for less than $10 from a local Marshall’s Discount Store. Little monetary investment, great health benefits. Few requirements for special equipment. And completely portable. Yoga can be practiced virtually anywhere. Or maybe anywhere at all.

Sounds like a very easy and elegant solution to the fitness blues.