Comfortable and chic By Lisa Jones Townsel St. Louis Post-Dispatch Fashion Editor Gotta run to the store? Pick up the kids? No need to change out of your yoga pants anymore. Just amalgamate them into your anytime wear. A step up from the ubiquitious terry sweatsuit (quintessential bum-around apparel unless, of course, it's Juicy Couture), today's lot of fitness-inspired garments are often fitted, sexy and comfortably chic. But don't think of it as a retun to the "Flashdance" era (yes, legwarmers are back momentarily; ripped sweatshirts, no) or a nod to dressing down when the occasion doesn't call for it. In our attempt to continue to reinvent coolness, we have once again tapped the sports world for inspiration. A few season ago, basketball was the emphasis. Se we saw our share of jersey-styled dresses and even those funky high-heeled tennis shoe boots. Then it was bowling and later boxing. This time around the bent is more serene. Wide-leg karate pants, close-fitting yoga pants, stretchy camisoles and dance sneakers are just a few of the pieces seen wandering out of the dance studio and into, say, the grocery these days. Karen Stewart and her husband Howard Brown own the Ventura, California-based Stewart + Brown business of casual clothing. The upscale pieces are restful and relaxing but in an ourdoorsy kind of way. Stewart used to design clothing for Patagonia, Urban Outfitters, J. Crew and Anthropologie before launching out into business on their own. "We're going for a sustainable product," says Stewart, who calls her customer the active, traveling type. The Stewart + Brown line is carried locally at Essential Elements in Ladue. Stewart's own lifestyle drives the lines. "We travel a lot and are aloways thinking about what we can wear in multipurpose situations." It was a natural that her collection would include fitness-savvy looks. Her pieces make use of French terry cloth, cashmere, fleece, pima cotton and jersey on everything from drawstring shorts and racer-back tanks to pullover, long-sleeved tees and the firm's allout best seller, the French terry karate wrap. "The karate wrap top in a brushed French terry is very stretchy. You don't want to take it off. It's wrappy and cozy. It's an emotional tie with the customer," the designer says. "Once you start wearing it, over time, it gets nicer and fluffier." Stewart sees her job as putting a new spin on something old. "I take active silhouettes (in fabrications) that you want to have close to your body," she says. Cashmere isn't just ultra luxurious and comfortable. "It wicks away moisture naturally and has natural odor resistance," Stewart says. Her racer-back sweater tank, she says, can truly be worn hiking or while playing tennis during the day, and then with a collared shirt in the evening. "The market place is getting very savvy. The clothing industry is rising to the occasion," Stewart adds. "People are looking for better clothing that lasts longer and that can be worn for more than one occasion."

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