Top 5 Best Workout Wear and Athleisure Brands

If you’re looking for pieces that bring you from the gym, to the store, to the house, then these are the ones that truly blend form-and-fuction.

Need more style inspo in your life? Check out my posts on leather pants, thigh highs, pleated skirts, bralettes, chunky platform sneakers, white jeans, Dr Martens, flares, and white boots!

vuori

I discovered Vuori while taking reformer pilates classes between set days shooting my first feature film in LA(!!!), and have been hooked ever since. I kept seeing the same symbol on other attendees, and had to ask what brand they were rocking!

Founded in California in 2015, Vuori is a premium performance apparel brand that finds inspiration rooted in the west coast lifestyle. In their words, they integrate “fitness, surf, sport, and art [to evolve] the definition of traditional activewear”.

I really like how the shape and form of their products are high-quality, and detailed. For instance, this lavender set is ribbed, and features a square-cut neckline.

My only suggestion is that going forward, it would be nice if more of their sports bras had adjustable straps! I can’t wear some of them simply because I’m too petite to fit them without that customization.

I also own two pairs of their sweatpants (not pictured), but they make fabulous lounge-and-everyday wear.

My biggest complaint - restock more! The current Yosemite bra I want is sold out! Ahhh!

Favourite Item: Inversion Rib Bra

437

Toronto It-girl staple 437 (sometimes stylized as Four Three Seven) is an activewear brand that is run by an all-women team in Canada. However, that shouldn’t stop you from rocking them elsewhere - the black onesie I wore in Los Angeles, and the pink onesie I wore in London (UK - not Ontario)!

Although it originally began as swim + resort-wear, it soon expanded into activewear and lifestyle pieces. Athleisure is their prime focus nowadays, and you’ll seen the IYKYK babes rocking their onesies and signature lettuce-edged crème wraps to-and-from Pilates and Yoga studios across the GTA.

The material they use for their products, while very thick and flattering, is preferable for day-to-day errands, reformer pilates, or room temperate mat classes. I personally find them too heavy for the hot room (but hey, maybe that’s what you want)! I also want to mention that they currently only offers low-support sports bras, which is a bit of a shame!

For a figure-flattering and in-the-know brand, this is definitely one to check out!

Favourite Item: The Onesie in Black and Crème

OFFLINE

American Eagle’s other brand lounge-and-lingerie brand Aerie has now branched further into activewear brand Offline.

I never fail to get complimetns whenever I wear Offline to a Pilates or dance class. The pieces, both in shape and colour, are just adorable. They’re also equally cute to wear for walks or light hikes. I packed multiple sets for my recent trip to Serbia/ Albania/ Montenegro (pictured below), and they added nice support and style to my Balkan adventure. There may have been a heatwave, but I was oh-so-cute for it!

Offline is very affordable, and they have frequent sales. While not as high-quality as some of the other brands on this list, it’s a great bang-for-your-buck option (and one that looks great)!

Favourite Item: All Aces Tennis Skort

Aritzia

Perennial workout staple in every Pilates class I’ve ever taught is TNA (Aritzia’s activewear brand).

The nice parts of TNA is that, because it’s a ‘bigger’ store, it’s fairly affordable (comparatively) to other brands, you can often find pieces on sale, and they come in a wide array of colours, styles, and materials. It’s also just a well-known and well-loved brand that makes a nice gift.

The things for which I want you to be aware are that I personally don’t find TNA bras or tops as supportive for my (minimal) bust as other brands. They currently only have low-support sports bras available. I also want to highlight that these are not sweat-proof! If you’re doing a very active or hot room class, these will show sweat stains. However, if you prefer mindful movement, slower-paced pilates/ yoga, and light support for day-to-day activities, TNA is an excellent choice! They also just make great life-to-gym and back outfits!

Favourite Item: Any jumpsuit… They always change!

azur fit

Azur Fit is a proudly Canadian brand with a store located at The Well in Toronto. They pride themselves on bringing “function and style with gorgeous colour palettes and the most flattering cuts".

I appreciate that Azur Fit is somewhat more affordable than other “fashion-centric” workout wear brands, and that they offer some medium-support bras (still no high-support). I always see people rocking their signature strappy-back sports bra in class!

Their sweats are also very high quality, and I can’t recommend them enough! I wear the ones pictures over my bike shorts in the winter to keep warm (or I leave them on if I’m still thawing out from the snow). Not pictured is my sweatshirt - but it’s absolutely fabulous!

Overall, this is a nice independent Canadian brand to check out.

Favourite Item: Cloud Cargo Sweatpants in Hazel Brown