Sustainable fitness wear to get you excited to move and still feeling good about the planet
We all know how new gym kit helps to get us motivated to move, whether that’s with a personal trainer out and about, in the gym or to move your body at home. But we have ethics, and we care about the planet, so how can we make sure that the fitness wear is good for us and the planet?
Ultimately, the most sustainable clothing, is the stuff we already own but what about when we need new? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! I’ve put together a list of sustainable fitness wear (whilst keeping a keen eye on the green washing tactics of some of the big corporations). I’m also going to show you, how you can keep the cost low, so that you can get bargain active wear to feel great in and move well.
Whilst none of the below would be considered perfect, these brands are a good step in the right direction. Some of the information might contradict itself, for instance complimenting a brand for its use of recycled materials, whilst explaining later in What is greenwashing that this is a sign of greenwashing. We all need to try as hard as we can and for me, these businesses are.
I’ve only included brands that I personally have experience, with, I’ll keep it updated as I find more.
Brands to look out for
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is an American brand that produce beautiful fitness wear in a good range of sizes. The clothing is durable, I own several pieces that have lasted a long time and look fantastic. They feel great, making me want to get in the gym and move around, some of the pieces wouldn’t look out of place outside of the gym.
What makes them good?
They use lower impact materials, including recycled materials.
They reuse some of their textile offcuts
They use reculed packaging
They trace some of their supply chain
They don’t use materials derived from animals
Girlfriend Collective isn’t the cheapest but is in the price range of Lulu Lemon and Sweaty Betty.
You can buy Girlfriend Collective in the UK from Marks and Spencer’s.
To keep costs down, look out for second hand Girlfriend Collective items on Vinted.
Adidas by Stella McCartney
Adidas by Stella McCartney although expensive, gives you the opportunity to get performance wear that is also sustainable and vegan. I have had a pair of Adidas by Stella McCartney trainers that I have worn most of the time that I’ve worked out over the last two years. Although they won’t be worn in the same way as someone that runs would do, because I’m usually static. I have still done my fair share of HiiT classes, boxercise, and the odd jog in them. They are costly but they are still in the range of a pair of performance trainers that you’d get from other similar brands. I searched for a long time to fine a pair of trainers that were able to perform, vegan and sustainable.
What makes them good?
They use techniques to minimise the use of water in production
They use a high proportion of low impact materials, including recycled materials
They are on track to eliminate a target they set to eliminate hazardous chemical by 2025
You can buy Adidas by Stella McCartney from the Adidas website.
Batoko
I had to mention Batoko, a small swimwear company based on the North West coast of England. They have such fun designs! I’ve had one of their lobster swimming costumers for 5 years, and whilst I’m not the most frequent swimmer, it has been in several oceans, pools and spas. I always get loads of compliments over it and I can’t resist doing my lobster dance when I wear it.
What makes them good?
They use recycled plastic waste
They keep the brand small
Their supply chain is small to make sure that the people making the swimwear are treated fairly
They contribute a proportion of their profits to grassroots organisations and charities
You can buy their swimwear on the Batoko website. The costumes might be more expensive the one from a supermarket, but it feels much better to invest in a company doing good and you get to look flipping cool whilst doing so. In fact, I’ve just been on the website and seen a rather gorgeous pink dinosaur swimming costume!
Batoko occasionally do sale, when they will sell their costumes that might have minor flaws on a grading scale, they are always clear about what the issues might be and the costume will always be fully functional. If that sounds like something that interests you, sign up their mailing list.
Patagonia
Patagonia is another American brand, most associated with outdoor wear, but hey we all need an anorak plus they have some great leggings which they refer to as ‘tights’.
What makes them good?
They use a high proportion of lower impact materials including recycled materials
They use materials that help limit the chemical, water and wastewater in it’s supply chain
They support grassroots groups to find solutions to the environmental crisis
They make long lasting items that can be repaired
You can buy Patagonia from their own website plus independent shops in the UK. They do have a fairly high price tag, so watch out for those sales and check Vinted!
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is when brands highlight the positive impacts of a product or service whilst greenwashing over much bigger issues that it has.
Greenwashing tends to be to hide over consumption of fast fashion. For instance, fast fashion brands will herald clothing as sustainable because they’ve used recycled polyester in garments. I used to fall foul of the ‘recycled polyester’ is absolves us the buyer of any guilt about buying cheap clothing as we believe we’re positively contributing to sustainability.
Other ways brands are green washing are using terms such as ‘eco’, ‘conscious’, ‘eco-friendly’ without much evidence to back up their claims.
Polyester, whether it’s recycled or not, doesn’t biodegrade, so it’s just shifting the problem from one space to another.
How can I keep the cost low?
A lot of these brands are more expensive than fast fashion but that’s where we need to make the choice to buy as little as possible but buy well.
To save money, look out for sales. The items won’t be bargain basement prices, but you might get 20%+ off which all helps!
Other options are to keep an eye on second-hand clothing websites, once you know the brands and sizes you like, you can often find items that someone bought but then realised wasn’t the right size or maybe even, they’ve changed size?
Happy hunting
I hope this list gives you a good start to find clothing that you can feel good wearing and feel good about wearing. I’d love to hear from you, if you find a brand that is sustainable, and you love wearing.
