We’re all trying to feel good about our bodies and stay active as much as we can during lockdown, for both our physical and mental health. I’ve found that being home nearly all the time has had a fairly negative effect on me, but I can help things feel better by getting out the house for a short run or doing a HIIT workout from home. It can be tempting to just buy cheap leggings or sports bras from a fast fashion brand online, but if you’re trying to shop more consciously you might be looking for new brands to explore. 

It can be tricky to make a change when shopping for activewear, you don’t always know if you’re getting good value for money, or if materials you’re unfamiliar with will work as well as the ones you’re used to. I think we’re often told (by media, marketing, etc) that we should stick to what we know, or that there’s a reason some brands are so well known for what they sell, and that by choosing something different we’d be settling for a lower quality. This is false advertising and merely a tactic used by brands who are profiting off selling cheaply made, bad quality clothes and charging you mostly for the recognisable brand name. 

“But I only wear Nike”

I hear this a lot in the debate around sustainable activewear, especially from men if I’m being honest. It’s sort of this distrust of new or unfamiliar brands compared to the obviously more established and ‘athlete approved’ brands like Nike, Gymshark, or Reebok. While these brands have been around for ages, unfortunately they haven’t managed to keep up with the changing times and remain very unsustainable and unethical in terms of their production methods. These brands use a lot of synthetic materials like rayon, nylon, and polyester, all bad for the environment and take hundreds of years to decompose.

It’s worth noting that these brands are trying to (or have plans to) become more sustainable, from making more information public about their supply chains to sourcing more greener materials or using recycled polyester in more of their garments. While these are tiny footsteps (and we need big, huge giant steps), they are better than doing nothing.  

“How should I know who to trust?”

Greenwashing (disinformation disseminated by an organisation so as to present an environmentally responsible public image) is still a huge issue within the sustainable fashion world, and brands are always trying to pass off ‘sustainable materials’ or ‘green collections’ without any genuine changes to their supply chains, factory audits or internal policies. Before I commit to buying from a brand, I like to check their rating on the Good on You app, a resource that provides information on brands to help you decide if you want to buy from them or not. It’s free to download and has a tonne of data on hundreds of fashion brands so you can check if a brand is socially conscious before giving them your money. 

The app uses a rating system that evaluates how they treat people, the planet and the animals, and whether a brand is taking positive steps to become more sustainable. This is how the Good on You app rates brands: 

1.     We avoid (worst)

2.     Not good enough

3.     It’s a start

4.     Good

5.     Great (best)

For example, I checked the ratings for the three brands I mentioned above and here’s what I found:

• Nike – It’s a start. “Nike has good policies to audit suppliers in its supply chain, but it is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers.”

• Reebok – It’s a start. “Reebok has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by its own operations, but it has not set a supply chain target.”

• Gymshark – Not good enough. “Gymshark is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers.”

  
  

The brands I’ve recommended in this blog are all:

• Rated good or great

• Made using sustainable materials

• Produced ethically

• Vegan approved (not all of them are 100% vegan but offer vegan clothing or ranges)

While these brands may have a higher price tag than your usual go-to’s, they will last way longer and perform better during your exercises than cheaply made clothing would. Investing in sustainable, ethically made workout gear will make you feel proud of what you own, and even help motivate you to put them on and get going with your workout! I’ll include each brand’s rating from Good on You.

[Unless otherwise stated, all images have been taken from the brand’s website]

Rated: Great

Girlfriend Collective is one of the best examples of brand transparency I have ever seen. If you haven’t checked out their website, I would highly recommend it to see what a truly honest brand looks like. They have a sustainability page where they list all their policies on their sustainable practices throughout the manufacturing process and their commitment to protecting the garment workers who make their clothes. It’s really inspiring.

They make leggings, bras, tees, windbreakers, unitards and bodysuits. I love that they’re size-inclusive, offering a range from XXS to 6XL – it’s really positive to see that they’re making this consideration. In terms of fabrics, they use RPET (recycled polyester), Cupro (a delicate fibre made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind), and ECONYL® yarn (made from recycled fishing nets recovered from the ocean). They use natural, earth tones across their collections and have a minimalist aesthetic that makes them the perfect choice for your next workout look. You can buy them through their UK stockist, The Sports Edit.

Rated: Good

Californian-based organic cotton underwear company, Pansy, is an unexpected choice for active wear but I have good reason to include them. They are rated Good (4/5) on the Good On You app, as they have strong environmental policies in place and they don’t use any animal products. All their garments are made in California, and the organic cotton is actually grown in Texas. They visit their factories weekly and will answer any questions you have about their production via email on their website.

They make a wide range of gorgeous underwear but also make leggings, sports bras, unisex shorts, and tees that are perfect for that laid-back, not-trying-too-hard workout look. I love their range of colours; everything reminds me of summer, especially their sunflower yellow.

Rated: Good

The collaboration between sportswear brand Adidas and luxury brand Stella McCartney has turned into a very sought-after activewear label. Combining the experience and iconic style of one of the world's leading sportswear brands with the flair and creativity of one of its most exciting fashion designers. I love the fusion between high fashion and technical sportswear materials. 

They make everything from jackets to footwear and a range of leggings, tops and sports bras to get you kitted out for the most glamorous workout of your life! There’s a good choice of plain and neutral pieces and some more eye-catching designs with patterns. I bought a jacket from this collection in the summer and I’ve barely taken it off since…

Rated: Good

Leading the way in the slow fashion activewear market is TALA, launched by fitness influencer Grace Beverley. Tala has a page of information about the factories they work with and another page about the fabrics they use, this ticks the two main boxes for me. They use a range of materials from recycled fibres to innovative materials like Q-NOVA® and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose. 

The aesthetics of these clothes are what attracted me to this brand in the first place. Very body positive, form-fitting and empowering clothes that would inspire anyone to get up and start doing their squats. I recently bought a loungewear set (lol yeah not activewear) from Tala and I absolutely love it, I’ll be featuring it soon on my Instagram.

Rated: Good

I have loved Boody for ages as they were one of the first brands I found that offered bamboo clothing that didn’t have that ‘hippy’ vibe I wasn’t keen on. They make loungewear, t-shirts, underwear, bras and a small but effective activewear range, including eggings, sports bras, socks and a racerback tank. 

Perfect for the minimalist, clean look you might be after, and really reasonably priced. They are WRAP certified and have a lot of great information on their ‘eco & ethics’ page that break down all their environmental and social policies.

Rated: Good

Known for their commitment to environmentalism, Patagonia also creates clothes for specific sports like trail running, mountain biking and climbing. I’ve never bought anything from Patagonia before but if I was a serious athlete this is probably where I’d come to get my gear. 

They offer really good breakdowns of their products so you can see exactly what goes into the clothes you’re buying. If you’re into more serious exercise, they have a good range of leggings, tops, jackets, shorts and accessories that will prepare you for your challenge.

Rated: Great

One of my all-time favourite ethical fashion brands, People Tree, offer a really good activewear range including yoga wear, cycling shorts, leggings, sports bras, and t-shirts. Mostly in black and white, with a few pops of colour and print, they’ve made a range that will have something for everyone in it. 

All of their activewear clothes have been made using organic Fair Trade cotton, with only 5% elastane. Their activewear range is made by Assisi Garments, a social enterprise in India that works with skilled artisans to transform Fairtrade and organic cotton fibre into beautiful handmade garments.

Rated: Good

I found out about Tentree from an article by Charlie on Travel and had to include them in this blog! Tentree make clothing out of eco-friendly materials like TENCEL, organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyester. While they don’t have a specific activewear range, they make T-shirts, leggings, shorts and jogging bottoms that would be great for working out in.

Made using neutral colours and simple designs, these clothes remind me of the Californian health-nut, out for a hike at 6am. If you want to be (or at least dress like) that person, have a look at Tentree and start planning your walk around the park to prepare!

Rated: Great

Probably most well known for their sustainable underwear, Danish brand Organic Basics are rated highly for their transparency and commitment to environmentalism. They have created a range of activewear clothes like leggings, sports bras, shorts, and t-shirts, all in their signature colourways; black, burgundy or sea blue. 

While they are quite expensive (especially compared to fast fashion) these pieces are designed to last a lifetime, with their Polygiene® fabric technology. This permanent fabric treatment made from recycled silver salt keeps the fabric fresher for longer between washes. Washing your clothes less frequently can prolong it’s lifespan and save more clothes from landfill!

Not rated yet

UK-based brand League Collective believes they have designed the most sustainable yet functional garments on the market! Using recycled fabrics, they have created a collection of activewear that looks incredible and performs at a high level. All the products are made in London and have been designed to suit a range of activities like running, cycling, yoga and dancing.

Although only a small collection made up of leggings, yoga bra, swimsuit, hoody and bike shorts, League Collective offers a one-stop-shop for your activewear needs. The combination of monochrome colours, graphic cuts and details of floral patterns create really desirable pieces that would make a great treat to reward all your sweaty workouts!

I hope you’ve been inspired to try a new brand when you next need workout gear? Let me know if you have any other brands you would recommend? Happy workouts!