Fitness Fashion Experiment: Gymshark
From tackling two-a-days to coaching, and all that happens in between, our gym clothes need to work for us and with us. Quite frankly, we’ve had enough of the tights that stretch out and tanks that lose their shape way to fast.
Time and trials has made us confident in our expertise on what will get us through a workout and the brands that stand the test of time. However, more and more retailers are popping up online. We see more ads on Instagram than we can keep up with for athleisure and gym clothes. One that continuously caught our eyes recently was Gymshark.
Gymshark’s
Dreamy Legging
Took the Dreamy Legging on a long run to test them out.
High Waist. Full-length. Soft Fabric.
Gymshark is a fitness apparel company based out of the United Kingdom. Most likely, you’ve seen your favorite fitness influencer wearing the brand and the company touts the fact that a highly engaged and large social media following supports them. Fitness enthusiast, @brittnebabe, was one of the first influencers we noticed who always had the cutest and perfectly fitted matching sets. However, it wasn’t until recently that she began to broadcast that the brand she was wearing was indeed Gymshark. The brand has become one to watch as it has grown to capture a large part of the fitness apparel market in just seven short years. The founder, Ben Francis, was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list last year. Focusing on a niche market and building a community by involving customers in their story and turning fitness influencers into brand ambassadors have been keys to success.
After noticing a few friends/clients of ours were also wearing the brand, we began to ask how they felt their tights held up during a tough workout. What we found was that these women raved about the brand, so we gave it a try. We purchased a pair of Gymshark’s Dreamy and Empower leggings. Here’s what we thought:
How much will these set you back? Gymshark’s pricing falls right in the middle of the pack at $45-60 for a pair of leggings. They aren’t as cheap at Target’s JoyLab and not as expensive as Athleta or Lululemon.
Gymshark’s Empower Legging
High-Waist. Full Length. Super Compressive. Didn’t hide all the sweat, tho.
How do they fit? Both pair of tights are high-waist and full 7/8 lengths. The Dreamy legging is very soft and made from polyester and elastane. The Empower legging is more compressive and form-fitting. They are made of nylon and elastane.
Are they workout ready? The description of the Dreamy legging says they have been rebuilt for superior training, but we were less than impressed. This pair felt like they would stretch out and lose their shape after about three good wears. However, the Empower legging became a favorite after just one wear. This pair also has a few fun accents like mesh paneling along the leg and a branded waistband in a contouring color that just adds a little extra. They also have a little short built into the inside of the legging for extra coverage. The Dreamy legging may work better for those who prefer yoga and dance classes over HIIT training or heavy lifting sessions.
What about those cute matching sets you mentioned? Our rule when trying a new brand for the first time is to default to black. You can never have too many. We are still eager to try other types of leggings and colors from the brand and of course will keep you updated when we do.
So, you will purchase again? The brand is most popular for their Flex and Seamless leggings which we are still eager to try. We hear they have a pretty big Black Friday sale, so we’ll be keeping our eyes out for upcoming deals.
Have you tried Gymshark? Leave us a comment below, or join the conversation on our IG page to let us know your thoughts on the brand.