I lurk on Peloton Reddit more often than I'd like to admit. (Like, multiple times a day, and I don't even have a Reddit account.) And recently I've noticed the conversation surrounding Peloton instructors and their costumes during artist series. Should they dress up, or is it fine that they don't?

Some of the rides I've taken in the last week that were apart of an Artist Series (Robin's Beyonce and Jenn's Elton John) had completely different vibes because each instructor went, quite frankly, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum when it came to their wardrobe. Robin showed up to her 45 minute Beyonce ride in a custom bodysuit made by Gianna Nucci and Chrissy Barba Vaccaro, while Jenn showed up to her 45 minute Elton John ride in a black tank. Completely different and... completely fine?

Some Peloton users argue that wearing a costume adds to the theme and Jenn's lack of costuming felt like a bummer, while others said Robin's Beyonce getup was distracting. (Moral of the story: You can't win.)

I think the word everyone is looking for is authenticity. For Jenn, a big, costume-y, over-the-top ensemble that was inspired by Elton John would have felt so incredibly out of character for her. This is Jenn Sherman, people! The woman does Yacht Rock. She's not going to wear the Elton wings while on a bike. (She wore her hair down and a studded cuff for the ride, however, and even that felt like a lot.) Plus, if you want the full Elton look, just take Bradley's Elton John Warm-Up Ride.

After digging through 900 wedding photos, I found Ally Love's Tina Turner Ride that I think about often. Ally is showy, she's glam, and she loves Tina Turner. Her wardrobe reflected that without being over-the-top. And honestly, if she was over-the-top with it, I would have loved it just as much. It felt like the perfect ode to Tina Turner, while also staying true to Ally, and that's what these rides are all about, right? Honoring the artist and ourselves? (Is that too cheesy?)

Tunde did the same thing with her Beyonce Cool Down Ride, in which she had glam, she had my interest, and she still remained true to what she always wears on the bike (a sports bra and short bike shorts... how!).

And then there's Olivia, or Denis, or Christine, or even Cody, who pay homage to the artist through a t-shirt that represents the artist. That works for me because it works for them. I don't expect Denis to dress up as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band costume (HA!), or Christine to wear more than her dagger ring for a P!nk ride. Or Cody to wear anything but his Britney tee, because he's about to fuck shit up, boo, and any Cody fan knows that even a dangling earring is distracting for our little Dancing With the Star.

And then there's the Kendalls and the Jess Kings of the world who are like, I see your tee and raise you everything. And I spend most of the ride just thinking... that thing has gotta be riding up, right?

I'll take my Peloton instructors however they come, in costume, in t-shirts, in Peloton apparel I'll inevitably spend hundreds of dollars on. As long as I'm swearing at them by the end, I'm happy.

Images: Peloton