Activewear | Sweat it Out in a Sustainable Style! — Sustainable Ways (2024)

Table of Contents

What is considered as activewear?

What are the top items for activewear?

What are the top trends of activewear in 2023?

What is the problem with fast fashion activewear?

How to shop for sustainable activewear?

Top 6 Sustainable Activewear Brands for Summer 2023

What Fabrics Are Used in Activewear?

Last but not least…

There are many options for fitness clothing, ranging from the dubious cheap to the opulently pricey. But, a few ethical, responsible, or both businesses produce well-crafted, reasonably priced solutions that need to be more balanced on design and fall short in comfort, performance, and functionality explicitly developed for sustainable fashion and fitness clothing. Despite the endorphins, these sustainable athlete wear alternatives keep the good feelings coming with stylish looks that won't break the bank. Go quickly between yoga and a museum, the tallest trek, and coffee with friends while working out in style wearing gorp-core-inspired clothing.

There are more environmentally friendly options in the area besides recycled materials. Other plant-based textiles like Tencel, which is made from eucalyptus, and organic cotton are also available. In 2020, Global Data estimated the UK's sportswear industry to be worth 13.8 million pounds. On the other hand, the size of the world market for athletic wear was roughly 319.4 billion dollars in 2022. The statistics show that sustainable activewear is the new black!

A little splash of color can sometimes be what you need to get pumped for your next spin class, whether you're starting a new training regimen or are already well into your habit. Nothing is new about wanting to take care of your health and mind, but what if you could accomplish that while reducing your environmental impact?

You're in luck since we identified the top sportswear companies that use sustainable materials today. Even if you don't have any immediate plans to go to the gym, your exercise wardrobe may be eco-friendly and conscientious, thanks to sustainable activewear companies. Stay with us and read our guide to fashionable, environmentally responsible activewear for your next exercise below.

If you think the Oxford Dictionary's definition of activewear—"clothing meant to be worn for sports, exercise, and outdoor activities"—is a little too restrictive, you're not alone. After all, how often have we marveled at a pair of trainers that bills itself as athletic wear but is wrapped in glitter or some rather unsporty material or seen a sports bra that is incredibly lovely but also completely unsupportive? Despite the fact that we aren't in charge of coming up with new definitions if we were, we'd probably define activewear as "clothing that is intentionally stylish and may be focused on function, fashion, or both and is designed to be worn for sports, exercise, and outdoor activities but often worn in casual settings."

The chances are good that someone in your line of sight is wearing some activewear apparel unless you're reading this from the comfort of your office desk chair (and possibly even if you are). Today, trendy trainers are on everyone's shopping list, cleverly designed sports bras with elaborate straps and patterns are the new norm, and the argument over whether or not yoga pants are real pants has long since been settled (of course, they are). The most notable fashion trend of the century thus far is activewear, and it is unquestionably here to stay.

The days of wearing activewear only for the sake of exercising or playing sports are long gone, although that definition may be more challenging to say out loud than Oxford's. Still, the message is evident. Given that it is cozy, fashionable, and adaptable, activewear is now frequently worn as a fashion statement in informal situations.That's why you can even consider sustainable activewear as a gift to all your friends.

Despite the fact that activewear was initially created with sports and exercise in mind, you can now find nearly any type of clothing that is considered activewear in some way. For instance, you'll undoubtedly be able to find dresses that can be worn on a hike, to the tennis court, or to brunch, even though you're unlikely to find a ball gown made of breathable or moisture-wicking materials.

By the same token, activewear shoes can range from functional, such as running shoes and hiking boots, to fashionable, with fashionable sneakers that look more like platform sandals than running shoes. Here are some of the must-have items for active wear:

• Squat proof leggings

They are necessary. Women who have experienced the frustration of finding stylish leggings only to discover they are see-through-formed YANATM. So that you may go about your day without exposing your underwear to the public, all of our leggings are made with squat-proof materials.

• Sweat/moisture-wicking garments

You can exercise more effectively if you wear clothing with these qualities since they allow your body to cool down and prevent sweat from weighing you down.

• Supportive bra/crop top

According to the NHS, breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in the UK, and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with it at some point in their lives. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that 4 out of 5 women are wearing the incorrect size bra. Exercise can cause your breasts to shift up and down by up to 8.5 cm, so choosing the correct bra and support is crucial to keeping your breasts safe.

You're in luck if you're a busy woman who doesn't have time to change for the gym and a lunch date: All of the popular athletic styles for spring look stylish when an oversized jacket is worn over them. Such a range of abilities! To complete your stylish athleisure ensembles, scroll down to see six activewear trends.

• The Brighter the Better

In spring, colorful ensembles will be in vogue everywhere and quickly uplift your disposition.

• The Boxer Short

Leggings are out, and boxer shorts are prepared to challenge them for the top place in your closet.

• The Workout Onesie

Making your activewear in one piece is a simple technique to make it more straightforward. Fitness catsuits look excellent with an open cardigan after a workout and are a terrific alternative for yoga or Pilates courses.

• The Half Zip

A half-zip workout shirt has a distinct style advantage over a hoodie or crew neck. This item is ideal for adding to your minimalist wardrobe because sportswear has recently been a big street style trend.

• The Cold Shoulder

If you want to partake in the trend, it's worth spending on a high-quality one-shoulder sports bra since it defies gravity.

• The Exercise Dress

Exercise dresses are becoming more popular and will remain so. No tennis court is needed to serve looks in this trend!

There are also numerous problems with the materials and processes used. For instance, 16% of insecticides and 6% of pesticides used globally are used in cotton production. Moreover, the sector has a significant carbon impact, contributing up to 10% of the world's overall carbon emissions, and is projected to grow by 50% by 2030.

The issues as mentioned earlier are widespread in the clothing industry, but plastic is a unique problem in fast fashion.

Synthetic fibers made from heavily processed petrochemicals, such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and elastane, have played a significant role in the rise of fast fashion (fossil fuels). The low cost of production of these materials—polyester, for instance, costs half as much per kilo as cotton—allows brands to keep prices low but at a high environmental cost.

Almost half of all manufactured textiles today include polyester, the synthetic fiber that is most often used. It is often made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, a form of plastic manufactured from natural gas and crude oil and used to manufacture goods like plastic bottles.

The textile industry uses 15% of all plastic; the only industries that employ more are packaging and construction due to how pervasive plastic is in apparel. A recent analysis by the RSA discovered that the actual level of recycled material was pitifully low despite many manufacturers making a big deal about utilizing recycled plastics for their clothing. Across four major online fast fashion brands, the use of recycled fabrics was a mere 4%.

While there are some advantages to recycling plastics, this does nothing to address the issue of microfibers, which are tiny pieces of fabric released when clothing is worn, cleaned, or discarded and end up in our bodies and the environment.

A half million tons of microfibers, or more than 50 billion plastic bottles, are released into the ocean each year by clothing, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

These fibers have been seen practically everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the placentas of newborn children. The outcomes they could have are currently unknown.

Tim Brown, a New Zealander by birth, began to wonder why merino wool, a material that can be exploited indefinitely, wasn't being employed in the footwear sector. After extensive study, he partnered with Joey Zwillinger to develop a wool fabric particularly designed for footwear use.

The company has developed a wide variety of high-quality, more environmentally friendly sportswear and is now a certified B Corp.

A significant change, according to the Canadian company Tentree, begins small. Simple changes include:

• Shopping with a reusable bag.

• Opting to buy responsibly where possible.

• Making fewer, more deliberate choices.

The company has planted over 65 million trees and pledges to plant ten additional trees for every item purchased to support ecosystem regeneration and create jobs for local communities worldwide.

All of Tentree's products are made with an Earth-First philosophy, which means they are built with more sustainably sourced and recycled materials and are produced in fair, safe working conditions. Tentree's super comfy fabrics and easy wardrobe staples are typically available from XS-XL.

At a plant in China that has a Working Conditions Assessment (WCA), which ensures healthy, safe, and environmentally friendly procedures, Wolven makes sportswear and eco-friendly swimsuits. Also, the company employs a small group of tailors in Los Angeles who produce T-shirts and outfits.

Through its investments in carbon-offset programs, Wolven certifies that all of its imported shipments are entirely carbon-neutral. In collaboration with Climate Neutral, the company also supports the preservation of the rainforest and the methane capture from landfills.

Activewear is made of textiles that must be comfortable and flexible enough to allow for a broad range of motion. It is durable because it was designed to be worn when exercising, playing sports, or enjoying time outside. These three requirements should be met by materials used in sportswear, at the very least, but many textiles go above and beyond. For instance, sweat-wicking fabrics are frequently used in workout attire because they help you stay cool by naturally removing sweat and moisture from the body. Other top-selling materials have anti-odor qualities that stop sweat odor from remaining in your clothing even after washing.

Since you'll be sweating while wearing activewear, it's ideal for the fabrics to be highly breathable and lightweight. Although synthetic materials like polyester blends have historically been used to make the majority of activewear apparel, a new wave of natural fabrics has wholly revolutionized the market.

Bamboo is a natural moisture-wicker and breather with anti-odor characteristics to keep odors away, gives UPF 50+ sun protection, and is lightweight, soft, flexible, and very durable.In addition, bamboo composites such as bamboo viscose have also been used as sustainable fabrics in recent years.

The best news is that bamboo fabrics already have all of these properties, unlike synthetic fabrics, which require chemical treatments to get them. Due to the lack of dyes and chemical finishes in so many other brands, sportswear manufactured from bamboo is less likely to irritate the skin of active people with sensitive skin.