Aly Raisman, Allyson Felix, and April Ross on Their Post-Olympics Style

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Now that the Rio Olympics are over, it's time for the world's top athletes to take on an entirely different (and presumably far less exciting) challenge: returning to normal life. And for many, this means switching back from spandex (in some cases, extremely sparkly spandex) to regular-person clothes.

Of course, everyday style differs from athlete to athlete, so we asked P&G-sponsored sports stars Allyson Felix, who took home the gold in the women’s 4x400 relay and the silver in the women’s 400-meter race, and April Ross, bronze medalist in the women’s beach volleyball doubles tournament, what they prefer to wear when off the clock. We also spoke with Final Five member Aly Raisman, who won silver in the women’s gymnastics all-around competition and serves as an ambassador for Aeropostale's ultra-stretchy (of course!) denim offerings.

Below, their thoughts on on- and off-duty style and beauty, including Allyson’s tips on picking the perfect running shoe and Aly’s topknot tutorial. Spoiler: she uses nine elastics. NINE.

What’s your style like when you're not competing or training?

Allyson: "Los Angeles’s laid-back attitude can be seen in my style both on and off the track. My style during my days off is comfortable and simple, with an edge. I enjoy mixing up styles to complement different pieces of my outfit. If the main focus is on my sneakers, I will keep the rest of my outfit simple. Most people see me in training and competition gear, so I think it’s always a surprise when people see me off the track and dressed up a bit – whether I'm going out with friends or family or to a formal event or concert. Off the track, my style varies a bit. Sometimes I will go for the elegant, timeless pieces and other times I will grab something more interesting or in a bold color."

Aly: "I like stretchy jeans because they’re good for any body type. A lot of athletes struggle to find clothes that fit them well. Like, my waist is really tiny but then I’m muscular, so it’s hard to find the right fit, but these are really great. Now that I’m taking a little bit of a break from gymnastics, I’ll be wearing denim every day."

April: "I describe my style as beachy feminine. I like to wear my favorite Ralph Lauren jean shorts with a girly, flowy top. I look forward to getting a little bit more dressed up – wearing a dress and some heels and spending more time on my hair and makeup when my husband and I go out to dinner."

April, how do you keep yourself protected from too much sun?

April: "The best sunglasses for sports, especially beach volleyball, are the Oakley Jawbreakers – I love those. [And to protect my hair,] I always wear a visor!"

Allyson, what do you look for in a running shoe?

Allyson: "I look for a shoe that has a great fit, flexibility, and strength, and is lightweight. Recently, I have been competing in my Nike Zoom Superfly Flyknits. I worked with their research lab to create this spike which is specific to body as well as my races’ needs and requirements. Their engineers know the science and performance innovation behind a great shoe and I always feel confident running with their shoes."

Aly, how do you get that perfect topknot?

Aly: "So what I do is I wet my hands first — I don’t completely wet my hair because then it’ll be too heavy. But I wet my hair [using my hands], put some hairspray in it, and put it in a ponytail first. A really high ponytail. I’ll do two elastics in the ponytail so that it’s tight, and then I’ll twist my hair and wrap it around and put one hair elastic in, and then fill the rest with bobby pins so you get all the little flyaways. And then I do a couple more hair elastics so that it stays. It doesn’t have to be the same amount every time, but it’s probably around eight or nine [elastics]."

April, what’s your beauty routine like?

April: "It’s pretty minimal. I’ll apply sunscreen and put on a bit of Covergirl Lashblast Volume waterproof mascara, and that’s it! After competing, I use Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist to help make my hair look shiny, healthy and moisturized again. My hair takes quite a beating between the sun, sand, and sweat, and I don’t usually have the energy or time to put a lot of effort into making it look great again, so that’s an essential for me! [On my days off] I’ll spend more time doing my hair and will use some more product – usually the Aussie Sprunch Mousse to define my curls more. But I’m very simple!"