WORDS BY HOLLY MARGERRISON
The New Year has always been about bringing in new resolutions and waving goodbye to habits we are less proud of. Gym memberships skyrocket, green superfoods replace the tubs of jewel-colored chocolates and extensive lists are compiled of ‘I WILL NOT’ and ‘I WILL’ for the months ahead — in true Bridget Jones fashion.
The trouble with many of the fad diets and excessive workouts you launch come January 1st is that they are difficult to maintain. You reach for your old gym kits, which are as dull and dreary as the high-intensity class itself, and put pressure on yourself to change the way you look.
Luckily, with our sustainable activewear brands ready to lend a hand, 2022 puts a joyful spin on working out in the new year. Released from the shackles of exercising to look a certain way, sustainable workout clothes are about more than skin-deep principles. Rely on ethical activewear from the world’s best brands and see how they push you to new personal bests and guide you to movements that focus on how you feel.
Taking up yoga, trying a new kind of Barre, diving into unknown waters, whooshing down the slopes or simply showcasing an athleisure aesthetic for your daily stroll, it’s time to adopt a new approach when it comes to releasing endorphins. Sustainable in more ways than one, these are the ethical workout clothes that put you on the right track to loving every inch of yourself, from the inside out.
Inhale, exhale. Encouraging you to stretch out and expand your horizons, Girlfriend Collective puts you on the path to sweat-wicking styles crafted from old plastic bottles, fishing nets and other waste. Saving millions of gallons of water and avoiding tens of thousands of pounds of CO2, Girlfriend Collective ethical fashion provides you with compressive high-rise leggings, minimal unitards and firm-support sports bras. With its ethical yoga wear, the Seattle label gives you its full support — from your chest to your toes.
See in the new year at a different kind of bar with Live the Process. Brimming with pretty pastel palettes and elegant tie detailing, clothing is tailored to Barre ballet workouts. Glide across the room in knitted shorts and matching bralettes, or take the hassle out of pairing tops and bottoms with spaghetti-strap bodysuits to mold to your form.
Focus on the journey within, not the end results in ethically-made activewear. Believing that every day offers the chance to evolve and grow it uses eco-friendly materials, minimizes packaging and manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint.
Nothing blows the cobwebs off like the sea breeze against your skin, especially out on your board or diving under the waves. Californian brand Abysse certainly makes your experience enjoyable with sustainable swimwear that makes taking the plunge into new waters enjoyable.
With its recycled materials, the family-run, women-owned business produces its functional styles locally. Ride a new wave of beachwear with eco-friendly wetsuits made from neoprene with water-resistant, insulating qualities. With your endorphins released, slip into quarter-zip swimsuits and one-shoulder bikinis for full dopamine effects by showing your body some self-love.
Taking in the views and preserving nature simultaneously. Skiwear label Fusalp knows you’re craving crisp alpine air, snow-covered mountain tops and the crunch of powder underfoot. Luckily with its modal fabric on performance leggings and base-layer tops, the bio-based material keeps you just as cosy with less damage on the planet.
It’s out with the incessant need to be going 100 miles an hour when it comes to working out. Redefine your exercise as any movement that releases stress, relieves pain or simply makes you feel alive. Yes, gentle strolls and simple stretches count with athleisure clothing from The Upside.
If cleaning the cooker, hoovering your floors or lifting shopping from doorstep to fridge gets your heartbeat up, it counts and that’s The Upside. Equip yourself with sustainable gym wear, as well as relaxed sweatshirts, sweatpants and tank tops crafted from organic cotton.