RETAIL ROUNDUP:From catwalk to Pilates mat

Let’s face it — people are beautiful in Newport Beach. Of course, I can say the same for Costa Mesa, since, well, my mom, my girlfriends and I live in the city.

But in any case, there’s no doubt about it. We live in an area famous for plastic surgery, healthy diets and personal training.

But the days of going to the gym in skin-tight pants, a cropped top, an unsightly leotard or a huge shirt are over. Fitness-types are opting for more fashionable options, and designers are happy to oblige.

Especially because of the continuing popularity of Pilates, a form of working out that doesn’t always result in a sweaty mess, many are incorporating their workouts into their daily routine. Busy schedules don’t always allow for a pit-stop at home between errands.

“People want to wear something fashionable and functional and something’s that has high design,” said Lisamay Scott, who owns House of Pilates on Via Lido. “They want to go straight from the gym and then out.”

Scott plans to start carrying Casall workout wear, which was featured at New York’s Fashion Week — a rare sight at a high fashion event — this summer.

But Pilates has also spawned a new product, called Toezies. Andi Paulen’s company is based in Newport Beach, and her Pilates socks feature open toes so Pilates students can more easily grip the machine while exercising. It also saves Pilates instructors from having to stare at your ugly or stinky feet for an hour session. And if your bare feet are on the Pilates machines, can you imagine how many other ugly, dirty or stinky feet have been there? Yuck.

Paulen sells her Toezies online and at workout studios, including House of Pilates, but says they’re also great for pedicures on cold days.

The Laguna Beach resident said she came up with the idea after being a student and Pilates instructor for years and never finding a sock like her design.

“I figured if I was looking for it, other people were too,” Paulen said.

At Lululemon Athletica in Fashion Island, it’s all about fashion and function. The clothes also have the ability to make butts look surprisingly aloft and great.

The workout clothes aren’t necessarily cheap, but they’re well-made and have survived years of washing and drying. The store also offers free hemming for its full-length pants, which means the company can manufacture them longer for those blessed with long stems and then chop them for those of us who are vertically challenged, as my mom would say.

“What our typical guest is looking for is something that is going to be comfortable, functional and they can go from working out to their kid’s school or to the mall,” Lululemon spokeswoman Hannah Stewart said. “It’s more like everyday wear, so that doesn’t look like typical athletic apparel.”

Many of the pants have bands of color on top, and their most popular long pant is actually reversible. On one side it has the banded color and on the other you can have a simple all-black pant. The Reverse Groove Pant sells for just over $80.

And don’t worry about wearing the same thing as everyone else — every 45 days, the store gets new colors.