Top fashion labels hit the gym: They’re better known for party dresses. But brands including Ghost and Mint Velvet are now muscling in on fitness wear…with winning results
- Amy Kester reveals a selection of top fashion labels now offering fitness wear
- Maje x Varley collection includes everything from leggings to sweatshirts
- Mint Velvet launched its second MV Active collection following success of first
1 MAJE
Ready-to-wear brand Maje makes French cool-girl style accessible, with celebrity fans including Pippa Middleton and U.S. model Gigi Hadid. Now it has teamed up with London activewear label Varley to offer gym essentials to women who see
The 20-piece, limited edition Maje x Varley collection includes everything from leggings to sweatshirts, headbands and socks. With colours including mauve, beige and black, plus leopard and faux fur, this isn’t one for wallflowers.
Many pieces are made from recycled polyester, such as the figure-hugging technical leggings and sports bras, so you can polish your green credentials while working on your triceps.
maje.com
maje.com
maje.com
maje.com
2 MINT VELVET
A wardrobe staple for working mothers with a penchant for glamour, Mint Velvet launched its second MV Active collection yesterday, following the success of the first offering in September.
True to form, it is a well thought -out blend of comfort and style, with built-in bra support , tummy-smoothing waistbands and sweat-wicking fabrics. Yet bold, monochrome logos and modern racerback tops mean it’s cool enough to wear to the most yummy mummy gym class.
A standout piece is the scruffy-chic batwing sweater i n acid yellow (£49) — throw it on to run errands after spin class. A bonus? It’s made using Ecovero viscose fibres, derived f rom sustainably sourced wood pulp.
Sports bra, £39, and leggings, £49, mintvelvet.co.uk
3 REFORMATION
Sustainable brand Reformation is known for modern yet feminine dresses with clean, simple silhouettes and the occasional daring thigh-high split.
Worn by actress Natalie Portman and model Kaia Gerber, it is both wearable and on trend — as is its activewear.
Ref Active launched last year with two options: EcoMove, a performance fabric with a slight sheen for high-impact exercise; and EcoStretch, a velvety soft fabric for low-impact.
The stars of the collection are the ultra-modern ‘active dresses’ — like tennis whites given a sleek overhaul for the 21st century. (Try the Daria in black, forest green or mocha, £98, which features the sexy thigh-split plus built-in knickers.) Expect to see this on influencers soon, although it is available in sizes up to 3XL.
thereformation.com
thereformation.com
thereformation.com
Bra, £125, and leggings, £140, Roland Mouret at selfridges.com
4 ROLAND MOURET
The designer behind the Galaxy dress — worn by every Noughties star from Victoria Beckham to Halle Berry — launched Roland Mouret Body last October. This is seriously high-end athleisure, with eyecatching details such as a ruched, open back on a jersey tank top, or the signature ‘Mouret dart’ on leggings, perfectly placed to enhance the shape of your bottom.
Mouret is feted for his precision cutting and sculptural construction, so a flattering, figure-shaping fitness line makes sense.
On launching the range, Mouret admitted he was having to adapt to our new, more casual way of dressing, saying: ‘We have to be realistic about the women in our lives and the way they spend money today.’
Indeed, his dress brand has since entered administration, but the RM Body line is available through Selfridges and online site Mytheresa. With prices starting at £75, it’s still a luxe option, but you could wear these pieces out to lunch before heading to a gym. And compared with the Galaxy dress, which originally retailed for £990, they are a snip.
Jersey sports bra, £125, and high-rise stretch leggings, £155, Roland Mouret at selfridges.com
5 GHOST
Ghost is famed for its floaty frocks in pretty floral prints — so it stands to reason that its activewear is supersoft, comes in a range of pretty ice-cream colours and was designed with yoga, Pilates and ballet barre classes in mind.
Go by Ghost launched last year and features breathable sweatshirts and joggers in organic cotton. It even includes a ditsy floral print (£89 for a sweet pink hoodie), a detail synonymous with Ghost dresses.
It offers two types of leggings, one designed for low-impact workouts with a flattering yet cosy high waist; the other with the same details but more technically designed for fitness and featuring a handy mesh pocket. The line is at the affordable end of the activewear market, too, at £49 for leggings.
Strappy bra, £39, jersey joggers, £49, and organic sweatshirt, £59, ghost.co.uk
6 NOBODY’S CHILD
You may have heard of this ‘ecoconscious’ brand because it recently became the first outside label stocked at Marks & Spencer. Known for pretty dresses in trendy but wearable shapes, Nobody’s Child launched its debut athleisure collection in December — also at M&S.
The 16-piece range features a few hero pieces (bright, floral print leggings in recycled polyester, very like Lululemon but far cheaper at £42), plus plain, well-made basics in block colours. Each pair of leggings is made from 60 plastic bottles and the sweatshirts are coloured using vegetable dye. Prices are affordable, too, peaking at £49.
Recycled polyester crop top, £22, and leggings, £42, available at nobodyschild.com and marksandspencer.com
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