NOW YOU CAN BE A GREEN GODDESS
Recycled fabric tops. Trainers made from plastic waste. And leggings fashioned from bamboo ...
AHappy consequence of the unstoppable wellness juggernaut is that it’s now acceptable — fashionable, even — to wear gym kit, sorry, activewear, as you go about your day.
it has to be suitably premium, mind. Lululemon leggings, Sweaty Betty vest top, S’well water bottle in hand — the holy trinity of wellness status symbols says: ‘i take care of myself.’ it says: ‘i’m just off to barrecore’ (even if the only bar you’re hitting that day serves sauvignon blanc).
The joy of nice activewear is that you look sleek and put together while revelling in maximum comfort. and if you’re actually doing any exercise, you feel a whole lot better sweating it out wearing something nicer than a grotty tank top and saggy leggings.
Now, a new wave of eco-friendly activewear brands has arrived to up the ante, combining luxury designs with environmentally friendly fabrics. it’s a double-whammy of saintliness — do your tricep dips smug in the knowledge your tee hasn’t cost the Earth litres of precious water.
The new eco labels to know? Super-cool unisex sportswear brand Riley ( riley.studio) for minimalist, block-colour styles made from sustainable materials. its red Zip Track Pants, for example, are produced from Q-Nova, a nylon fibre crafted using recycled scrap fabric. (a staggering 35 per cent of materials in garment supply chains are wasted, ending up incinerated or in landfill.)
if you like to invest in a- cut-above staples, these take humble tracky bottoms to another level.
LoNdoN
BaSEd Evveervital ( evveervital.com) takes a different route to avoiding fabric waste, using seamless technologies — where the garment is created as a tube, meaning there’s no surplus fabric to trim — to make its Leap it Leggings.
available in orange or cobalt, the waistband sits nice and high, finishing where you’re narrowest.
if you’re haunted by the detritusstrewn seas in TV’s Blue Planet, take a look at Peak+Flow ( peakandflow.com), which takes unwanted ocean plastic and turns it into high-performance Try its sweat-wicking Peak Leggings in a geometric print. The label’s also signed up to one Percent For The Planet, an initiative encouraging companies to donate 1 per cent of their profits to environmental causes.
Parley For The oceans is another brand that should be on your ecoradar. Promoting creative solutions to plastic pollution, it has collaborated with adidas on a capsule collection using yarn produced from plastic waste intercepted on beaches and coastlines.
The ocean-like ombre effect on the Parley Tank Top looks particularly good against the white Tennis Skirt. The same ocean-saving yarn is used in the adidas x Parley trainers. But if you really want to embrace nature, you’ll need Vivo Bare foot running shoes. designed to mimic the sensation of barefoot running — it’s thought overly padded trainers can interfere with the foot’s natural movements — but without the risk of stubbing your toe, its Primus Lites are made using recycled PET plastic bottles and have an ultra-thin sole.
Bamboo- based fabrics are another smart option. Naturally anti-bacterial, UV-protectant and 60 per cent more absorbent than cotton, it’s excellent at moisturewicking and ideal for workouts. as a plant, it’s fast-growing, without the need for pesticides, and can thrive on rainwater, avoiding wasteful irrigation systems.
British label BaM specialises in bamboo clothing, and its contrast-panel Enduro Leggings tick a lot of boxes: an ankle active wear.
skimming 7/ 8 length ( more forgiving than mid-calf), a ‘tumtaming’ waistband that doesn’t cut you in half, and a bambooblend jersey fabric that won’t go embarrassingly see-through. There’s a matching racerback crop top, too, although if you’re a C-cup or larger, you’ll need a sports bra underneath. Try Wolf & Whistle ( wolfandwhistle.
co.uk) for cross-back bras. Made from recycled plastic bottles, they come in prints including leopard and snakeskin, and start at just £25.
And for eco swimwear that’s robust enough to do lengths in, there’s Davy J. Its costumes are made with 100 per cent regenerated nylon yarn from marine waste. Apparently, one ton of abandoned fishing nets can make 100,000 swimsuits.
It was inevitable, really, that our wellness obsession would overlap with our eco-wokeness. As we’re all increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of ‘fast fashion’, there’s no reason why our workout gear should be immune to scrutiny. Feel the burn, save the planet — and look good in the process.