No one wants to be accused of belonging to the, ‘All the gear, no idea,’ group of exercisers, but, then again, some nice new kit is something of a get-up-and-go motivator. As long as it’s the right kind. The 2020 way to do gymwear is to buy something with great eco-credentials, according to global search platform Lyst, where searches for ‘sustainable activewear’ are up 151% compared to the previous year. The message? Bum-sculpting leggings are all well and good, but not if they’re damaging the planet in the process.
The London-based fitness brand Silou, founded by former model Tatiana Kovylina and marketing entrepreneur/yoga teacher Phoebe Greenacre, prides itself on its non-toxic fabrics that still deliver on technicality, its seasonless designs and its ethical approach to manufacturing. Stella McCartney, meanwhile, is at the frontier of planet-friendly fabric development, using recycled polyester and regenerated ECONYL yarn in her autumn/winter collection with adidas, and working with textile innovation companies such as Bolt Threads and Evernu to make boundary-pushing prototypes like a 100% recyclable hoodie and a biodegradable tennis dress.
Here are the other brands to bookmark now. (P.S. If you’re satisfied with your activewear, thanks very much, then why not buy Guppy Friend's wash bag for your kit? It stops plastic microfibers getting from your washing machine to rivers and oceans.)
SHOP: Sustainable Activewear
1 of 6BAM
The fitness and loungewear brand BAM gets its name from bamboo, the sustainable plant that uses less water and less land than cotton. Its Toasty Sweat cover-up, which is 67% bamboo, is breathable, temperature-controlling and moisture-managing.
2 of 6NAGNATA
Nagnata's technical knits fuse organic, natural and renewable fibres, using as little synthetics as possible, and are designed with zero yarn waste. They're also colour-blocked to retro perfection.
3 of 6Nature Hommage
Nature Hommage's mantra is simple - 'There is no planet B' - hence why its products are made from ECONYL®, fabric from regenerated nylon and elastane, and why it donates $1 for every purchase to Plastic Bank.
4 of 6Silou
Silou's activewear is manufactured in sweatshop-free production houses in Lithuania and Portugal, using chemical-free, non-toxic fabrics. If you hate your T-shirt riding up during downwards dog, its two-tone unitard could be a game-changer.
5 of 6adidas by Stella McCartney
Every piece from adidas by Stella McCartney is environmentally conscious, typically making product from recycled materials. Take these leggings for example, they're made from Parley ocean plastic, which is created from recycled plastic waste intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before it reaches the oceans.
6 of 6NIMBLE
NIMBLE have gone one step beyond and created their own custom engineered fabrics: MoveLite and COMPRESSLITE™. Both are made up of post-consumer used recycled plastic bottles.