When I took up running last year I thought that a sports bra and trainers were all you needed. I thought that cropped leggings and oddly shaped tops in 'technical fabric' were for posers.

However, when I started running last year, my old cotton leggings and T-shirt got hot and sweaty, and stayed that way, and the knees sagged out of shape, as the little amount of Lycra gave up the fight.

So gradually I acquired some cropped leggings (oh, the knee and thigh support!) and a hi-tech fabric short-sleeved top. And as the seasons changed, I added long leggings and a long-sleeved top (with thumb holes in the sleeves to keep your hands warm too). And I discovered that technical fabrics do actually work. They 'wick away' sweat, ie conduct it from your skin to the open air on the other side of your clothing, and they dry quickly. That helps when you wash them too: they're ready to run in again sooner.And they keep their colour, unlike greyed-out old cotton leggings. They're also designed with minimal seaming and other areas that can quickly start to chafe.

I've just added a dual-purpose top to my running wardrobe. It's from Sweaty Betty and is designed for running in hot weather, but looks good enough to wear during normal pursuits. Last night I went for a 5k run (something I try to do a couple of times a week) and wore it for the first time.

The temperature was well into the 20s, and humidity was high. The draped back kept my back cool - often the sweatiest area - the straps gave me no friction on my pumping arms, and the slightly flared hemline looked good over my stomach. I felt like I was wearing nothing, and I looked noticeably smarter than I do in my usual adidas T-shirt.

And wanting to look good may be frivolous, but I liked it. If nothing else, it was a distraction from the 'how many minutes have I been going now?', 'how much further is it?', 'am I running at normal speed?' trains of thought!

Why you really need a sports bra

What to wear when you work out