What to Wear to Pilates Class (Mat and Reformer)

For a mat or reformer Pilates class, wear fitted leggings or lined shorts with a flat waistband, a fitted top that stays down when you're upside down, and grip socks. Below is why each of those matters, what damages studio equipment, and what to expect at your first class.

For the trip and a dry change after class, use the everyday layers guide. Keep casual fleece, loose pants and slippers separate from equipment-appropriate training clothing.

No studio prints a dress code, but there is one, and it has three purposes: the teacher has to see your spine, your clothes have to stay put when you're face-down or inverted, and on a reformer your feet mustn't slide off the foot bar and your clothes mustn't scratch the upholstery. Get those right and the rest is taste.

Related: Pilates Is Having Yoga's Moment: What Changed, and What to Wear to the New Pilates-Strength Class.

Why fitted beats loose

A Pilates teacher spends the class watching your ribcage, pelvis and the line of your spine so they can correct you. A loose T-shirt hides all three. Baggy shorts fall open in leg circles, and wide-leg pants catch in reformer springs.

Fitted doesn't have to mean compression, and it doesn't have to mean revealing. It only needs to follow your shape closely enough that the teacher can see your ribs flare or your hips tilt. High-waisted leggings with a longline bra or fitted tank cover you completely and still show your form.

The one place for something loose is a light layer for the walk in, the opening breathing work and the cool-down. Take it off before the real work.

Grip socks, and why reformer studios insist

Most reformer, tower and chair studios require grip socks, and many mat studios prefer them. The reasons are practical.

The foot bar, carriage and straps are smooth, and sweaty bare feet slide on them. Silicone or rubber grips hold your feet during footwork, the standing series and lunges on a moving carriage, and slipping off a carriage mid-lunge is an easy way to turn an ankle.

Many people use the same machines every day, and socks keep bare feet off shared surfaces. They also keep skin oil, lotion and sweat off the upholstery, which wears it out over time.

A grip sock has rubber or silicone dots, lines or patches across the whole sole, not just the heel and ball. Ordinary socks slide more than bare feet. Toeless or full-toe both work: toeless lets you spread your toes and feel the bar, full-toe is warmer. The Gaiam Grippy socks are cheap, easy to find and accepted by studios, so they're the pair to buy before your first class. If you keep going, our best grip socks for Pilates and barre covers boutique pairs with better fit and ankle straps.

If you forget, most studios sell socks at the desk, usually for more than you'd pay elsewhere.

What damages a reformer

Reformers have vinyl-covered carriages, padded foot bars and leather or nylon straps. They're expensive to replace, and studio owners notice what you wear. Leave these at home:

• Exposed zippers on leggings, jackets and pocket pulls. They scratch upholstery and catch on straps.
• Metal buckles, rivets and grommets on waistbands or shorts, for the same reason.
• Studs, sequins, rhinestones and hard-thread embroidery. Fine for the walk in, not on the carriage.
• Lotion, body oil and self-tanner put on just before class. They transfer to vinyl and straps, leave them slippery for the next person and wear them out.
• Denim, or anything with a rigid seam that can rub the padding.
• Heavy perfume. It won't hurt the machine, but everyone breathing deeply in a small room will notice.

Mat classes are more forgiving because you're on your own mat, but a zipper still digs into your spine in a roll-down, so the same rules make sense.

Hair, jewelry and glasses

Wear your hair low. You spend much of class on your back, and a high ponytail or bun becomes a lump under your skull. A low ponytail, low bun or braid keeps hair off your face without that. Bring a spare tie.

Take jewelry off, or keep it minimal. Rings scratch handles and foot bars, bracelets and watches catch in straps and springs, and long necklaces swing into your face when you're face-down and tangle in the reformer loops. Small studs are fine.

Glasses are fine for mat work but slide in inversions and face-down work. Contacts are easier if you have them.

What women usually wear

High-waisted fitted leggings or fitted bike shorts, a longline bra or a fitted tank with a shelf, and grip socks. That works in any studio.

For bottoms, the rise matters most. A low-rise waistband rolls and gaps as soon as you lie back or fold forward. Look for a wide, flat waistband with no drawstring or exposed elastic. Full-length is the studio default, 7/8 is fine, and bike shorts with a 7 to 9 inch inseam are common in warm studios. Loose running shorts ride up in leg circles. Opacity matters more here than in most workouts because your legs are in the air so often, so squat-test leggings in bright light before class. The CRZ YOGA Butterluxe legging is our value pick because the fabric stays opaque and the waistband has no hardware. For more, see our best yoga pants for women and, if you need a firmer waistband, our leggings for thick thighs picks.

For tops, a fitted crop, longline bra or fitted tank. Test it before class: lie on your back and lift into a bridge. If the top slides toward your neck, it will in class too. A longline bra that ends at the ribcage, like the CRZ YOGA Butterluxe U Back bra, has more fabric to stay put. Pilates is low-impact, so light or medium support is enough. Our sports bras for yoga and Pilates guide and sports bra size guide cover fit in more depth. Avoid loose tanks with big armholes; they show your bra and flap about.

Bring a light zip-up or long-sleeve for arriving and leaving. Zip it up before you get on a reformer, or take it off.

What men usually wear

This is harder for men because most men's gym clothes are loose. What works: fitted 5 to 7 inch training shorts with a liner, or fitted leggings (alone or under shorts), a fitted T-shirt or tank, and grip socks.

Shorts need a liner or compression shorts underneath. In leg circles, feet-in-straps work and the reformer leg series, loose unlined shorts leave you exposed to the room. Fitted training shorts with a 5 to 7 inch inseam and a built-in liner are ideal. Leggings or 3/4 tights are increasingly normal for men in Pilates, and they let the teacher read your knees and hips best. Our yoga clothes for men guide covers fitted options that don't look like cycling kit.

Your top should stay off your face when you're face-down or in a bridge. Athletic-cut cotton blends are fine for mat work; wicking synthetics are better on a reformer, where you sweat more.

Grip socks follow the same rules, and men's versions come in larger sizes and plain colors. Buy your real shoe size: grip socks that are too small bunch under the arch.

What to bring

• Grip socks, even for a mat class, because some studios require them everywhere
• A water bottle with a sealing lid; open cups spill on the carriage
• A small towel if you sweat a lot or the studio is warm
• A hair tie and a spare
• Your own mat for mat classes, only if the studio asks; most provide mats, and reformer studios provide the equipment
• A light layer for before and after

You don't need a mat for a reformer class, and you don't need gloves, a strap, blocks or a change of shoes. If you want a mat for Pilates at home, our best yoga mats of 2026 guide sorts mats by cushion, which matters for spinal roll-downs.

Mat vs Reformer: What Changes

Your first class

Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. You'll sign a waiver, mention any injuries and, at a reformer studio, get a short orientation: how to change springs, where the foot bar locks, how the straps work. Turn up late to a reformer class and you may be turned away, because the teacher can't orient you once the class has started.

Tell the teacher you're new, and mention any back, neck, knee or wrist problems briefly before class. Teachers expect it and are good at modifying.

Put your phone away, switched off rather than on vibrate.

Set up where you can see the teacher, in the middle rather than the back. On reformers, take the machine you're given; beginners are often placed nearest the teacher.

Don't change springs unless you're told to, and follow the setup instructions exactly. Spring tension is the workout, and on some exercises the wrong setting is dangerous.

Keep the carriage still when you're not using it. Don't sit on the foot bar, and guide the carriage home rather than letting it slam.

At the end, wipe down your equipment with the spray and cloths provided, and fold the straps and reset the springs if the studio asks.

Save questions for after class; group sessions follow a tight sequence.

And don't worry about getting it wrong. Studios see beginners constantly, and in fitted clothes and grip socks you'll look like you belong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear regular socks to a reformer class?

No. Ordinary socks slide on the foot bar and carriage and are less safe than bare feet. Most studios will ask you to buy grip socks at the desk if you arrive in regular ones.

Can I do Pilates barefoot?

In many mat classes, yes; Joseph Pilates taught barefoot. Reformer studios almost always require grip socks for safety and hygiene, so check the studio's policy before your first class.

Are leggings with pockets okay?

Yes, if the pockets have no zippers or snaps. Drop-in side pockets are fine. Empty them before class so nothing digs into your hip in side-lying work.

What should I wear to Pilates if I am plus-size?

The same things: high-waisted leggings with a wide, firm waistband that doesn't roll, and a longline top that stays down in a bridge. Look for a waistband 5 inches or wider and inclusive sizing. Our leggings for thick thighs guide covers brands whose waistbands hold at larger sizes.

Do I need different clothes for hot Pilates?

Go lighter. Hot Pilates rooms are heated to 90 degrees or more, so wear bike shorts with a sports bra or fitted tank, and bring a towel and water; MedlinePlus advises drinking more fluids before, during and after activity in the heat. Grip socks are still required on reformers. Our what to wear to hot yoga guide applies almost entirely.