Activewear Brands That Are Changing The Game (we road tested them).

activewear

Sustainable activewear brands you need to try NOW.

Vault Active

Vault Active activewear shorts in black

The brand has a strong focus on sustainability, with completely compostable packaging and is currently looking at changing sample packaging to compostable packaging to reduce plastic footprint.

 Vault Active was created in 2017 by best friends Kate Benden and Sophie Van Den Akker in Melbourne. The two women have been best friends since the age of 5 and pursued careers in personal training and modelling respectively. Just like their friendship, the idea for Vault Active came about through the marriage of their two interests; fitness and clothes.

Since its creation, the brand has experienced great success. The brand is a true example of girl-power with the two best friends still solely designing and operating the business.

The activewear is of high quality and priced in the mid-range, similar to Lorna Jane. The range is small, with the focus on cool and simple designs that will make the wearer feel confident and sleek. 

The brand has a strong focus on sustainability, with completely compostable packaging and is currently looking at changing sample packaging to compostable packaging to reduce their plastic footprint.

Moving forward they are also looking to include recycled plastic bottles within their clothing materials.

“I wanted to make something that you could feel completely comfortable in, completely confident and completely supported” says co-founder Kate Benden.

The pair also released a maternity range which includes specially designed sports bras and leggings, creating a key point of difference within the industry.

However, as emphasised by Kate, the focus for Vault Active is on the quality and comfort regardless of the woman or circumstance.

“Being a personal trainer in a gym you see a lot of see-through material, or somebody will be trying to do a squat and the pants would come straight down” She says.

“That was something that I was determined to stop, or at least I wouldn’t bring out something in my brand that wouldn’t consistently fall down, or something that you have to wear a really long t-shirt over the top of so that you can’t see underwear lines.”

Our Top Picks :

Vault Active Vest (RRP $68.00)

The vest can be worn to the gym as well as athleisure to the coffee shop. The vest is lightweight yet super warm, making it the perfect portable jacket.

Ladies Aspire Legging (RRP $107.00)

Sweat-wicking and high waisted making you feel confident through their quality support.

TALA

Grace Beverley in TALA activewear
Founder Grace Beverley wearing TALA’s Zinnia leggings in ‘Four Leaf Clover’. The brand integrates sustainability within every aspect of their product and operations.

TALA is a new activewear brand based and originating from the UK. Founded by entrepreneur and social media influencer Grace Beverley whilst she was still studying at Oxford University, the brand launched in May 2019.

Since then, TALA has been an industry leader in sustainable activewear and inclusivity of branding and products. The brand also made over £3 million in sales in less than 12 months.

Their activewear is edgy and has a street style flare meaning it can be worn to both the gym and around town. Their designs are diverse, as is their sizing and model representation, aiming to ensure that the products are suited and targeted towards women of all shapes and sizes.

The brand is also making its mark on the environment by integrating sustainability within every aspect of their product and operations.

According to their sustainability guide and report, “By using recycled cotton in the hoodies and joggers, TALA saves 4817 litres of water per tonne of recycled cotton used compared to cotton grown.”

TALA also aims to reduce their plastic footprint by using recycled cotton and plastic bottles within their clothing materials.

They also highlight that, “Often ‘sustainable’ brands still use plastic packaging and labels, but TALA products are created differently. Neck labels for all products are made from 100% upcycled Nylon and bags are 100% recycled plastic, which would otherwise have been disposed of.

Our Top Picks:

The Zinnia Leggings – Grey (RRP $76.45)

The grey makes it a little different from traditional black leggings, however, unlike many grey activewear tops or leggings these products don’t show sweat patches. The tight material is still comfortable, but clings to all the right places, making the booty look extra peachy.

The Aster Crop – Grey (RRP $66.89)

This top combines street style but is still comfortable enough to wear while working out, particularly in the colder months.

Team Timbuktu

girls wearing activewear
Team Timbuktu 7/8 Leggings and Sports Bra in ‘Botanical’. Team Timbuktu is an Aussie activewear brand that keeps women and the environment looking and feeling good.

Team Timbuktu is another home-grown Aussie brand changing the game when it comes to activewear that keeps women and the environment looking and feeling good.

The brand was founded by Rihanna Knight at the age of just 26 after hiking through Patagonia and realising the need for good quality activewear that also looked beautiful.

From its humble beginnings as a crowdfunded campaign in December of 2017, the business launched in June 2018 and has been going strong ever since.

Founder Rihanna says, “Team Timbuktu aims to get more women outdoors. We do this by creating a product that is as sustainable as possible, reducing our environmental footprint within our business and supply chain. We want to encourage all women to get outdoors and to adventure more.”

She says, “We want to encourage women to push themselves, try new activities and reconnect with nature, as you’re more likely to look after the natural environment and change your personal habits (recycling correctly, saving water etc) if you’re connected to it.

The activewear itself is gorgeous with earthy prints inspired by nature. The colours range from black, to blue and green with a lining on the inside to ensure they are squat proof and see-through. The patterns are very subtle, making it the perfect choice for those that want to branch out from the safe black clothes but aren’t quite game enough to start rocking neon leggings.

The fabric itself is made from recycled or organic materials such as recycled plastic bottles and feels like butter on the skin (seriously it’s so soft you won’t want to take it off).

The shorts and leggings are nice and high waisted, with a thick elasticised waist which helps suck everything in, making you feel especially confident if you choose to pair it with the matching sports bra.

Our Top Picks: 

7/8 Legging – Jungle Green (RRP $99.00)

Despite the fact that the material is made out of recycled plastic bottles, it is some of the softest material I have ever worn. Your legs feel like they are covered in butter, and the lining underneath means you don’t have to worry about them not being squat proof.   

Crop Top Mid – Jungle Green (RRP $59.00)

This sports bra is also silky smooth, but don’t mistake that for flimsy. The bra is highly supportive. I have worn it for both weights workouts and plyometric HIIT workouts and felt comfortable jumping around. However, I don’t have a particularly big chest, so keep that in mind.

Tara Mckenzie

Like many of Bondi Beauty's readers, Tara has two main passions; health and beauty. As a group fitness instructor you'll either find her dripping in sweat during a HIIT class or with a full face of bronze makeup. If you meet Tara in person be prepared to act excited as she tells you all about your star sign and why you should start carrying a rose quartz around in your purse.

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