Best Sustainable Activewear » From the Infinite Embers blog

Want to help the planet? Choose sustainable activewear!

All the activewear featured the collage above is all eco-friendly and made out of recycled materials, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice fashion for sustainability. I’m super passionate about the environment—I believe the health of our planet is directly linked to OUR health. After all… if the earth is poisoned, then the plants that grow in it become sick, and then the animals that eat those will become sick—including us. It just trickles up the chain. But the good news is that small changes can make a huge trickle-down impact as well: like where you choose to buy your leggings. Sustainable activewear is the next cool trend, merging fashionable clothing with a commitment to clean up our planet.

Unfortunately, the fashion industry is one of the worst current destroyers of our planet.

In fact, it’s the second-largest polluter in the world. These four sustainable activewear companies have chosen to fight this problem. All the ones featured below use post-consumer recycled materials to create their clothes. among other green practices. They turn trash like plastic water bottles into super cute and high-performance activewear in the form of recycled polyester! Plastic bottles can take 400 years to fully biodegrade when thrown away. (Don’t worry—these brands always make sure there is no BPA or toxins in the materials they use.)

As a full-time yoga and former fitness instructor, I’ve tried just about every brand of activewear out there to put their clothes to the test. I’m always in search of activewear that’s stylish, form-flattering, and can hold up through a lot of wear and tear (and sweat). I also tend to like a little compression, which adds a flattering lift to your booty.

And the great thing is, these sustainable activewear brands hold up against their less-earth-friendly competitors!

I genuinely love their products—it’s like the fact that they’re helping to save the planet is a beautiful cherry on top. The clothes truly sell themselves.

To show you what I mean, I’ve gone through all of their websites and picked out my top picks in their current designs! I know, you’re welcome—such a hard job, but someone had to do it.

By the way, online shopping is even more fun when you’re choosing brands that are leaving a positive impact on the environment, rather than hurting it.

So, without further ado, here are my…

Favorite Sustainable Activewear Brands

Yoga Democracy

Yoga Democracy was my first sustainable activewear love. They even featured me once on their Instagram! That’s where I first came across their leggings—I was drawn in by how cute they were on a fellow yogi, and then when I saw that all of their activewear is made from recycled materials, I had to try them. As you might be, I was skeptical at first. But the leggings I bought quickly became one of my favorites.

The best thing about their leggings is that they’re incredible at wicking away moisture—I used to wear them when I taught spin, which is the ultimate leggings endurance test. And let me tell ya: Yoga Democracy holds up. I’ve owned four pairs of their bottoms so far, two leggings and two crops.

And another major plus: they really hold you UP. Their leggings are slightly compressive, which I LOVE. It gives you a lift and support in all the right areas.

ALSO—I  got the hookup and have a code for you guys to get

20% OFF any purchase!

Just enter code INFINITE20 at checkout to save on your order.

Here are my top picks:

Bottoms:

Just a Dark Moon Phase Printed Yoga Legging

Third Eye Chakra Printed Yoga Legging

Yoga Democracy Legging » From the Infinite Embers blog

Essential Legging in Cool Cirebon/Jet Black

Yoga Democracy Legging » From the Infinite Embers blog

Tops:

Free Range Sports Bra in Just a Dark Moon Phase

Yoga Democracy » From the Infinite Embers blog

Perfect to go with the Just a Dark Moon Phase Leggings above for a super cute set. Definitely top of my wish list!

Peaceful AF Bamboo Muscle Tee

Yoga Democracy » From the Infinite Embers blog

From the Yoga Democracy website:

Virtually everything we produce is made from recycled polyester or nylon. We source all of our fabric in Italy from a supplier that even by European standards is ahead of the game when it comes to wastewater treatment and green energy. By sourcing from somewhere with strict labor and health and safety standards already in place we can be sure people as well as the planet are not left short changed.

The process starts with PET bottles being shredded into flakes, which are then converted into pellets and melted down. That material is then spun into new polyester yarn which is used to create the recycled polyester that goes into brands like ours.

Our supplier uses a type of yarn called ECONYL® to produce our nylon. That yarn comes from a process carried out by a company called Aquafil SpA which reforms fishing nets collected from the world’s oceans, carpet fluff and other nylon containing material that would otherwise end up in landfill into new fabric.

Science is so cool.


Girlfriend Collective

In terms of quality, it really doesn’t get much better than Girlfriend Collective. Seriously, this brand blows me away. They’re doing everything right. The material of their compression leggings is nice and thick and really well-constructed.

When they first launched a few years back, they did a campaign that I saw on Facebook giving away free leggings. Genius. I got mine (the Compressive High-Rise Legging in Black below—I’m wearing them in the collage at the top of this page) and have been in love since.

I also really love this brand for their INCLUSIVITY. They use a variety of bodies for their models—all ages, races, and sizes! (Girlfriend Collective offers a large range of sizes from XXS-6XL) They are definitely paving the way for the future of sustainable activewear.

As a bonus, when you’re done with your Girlfriend Collective clothes, you can recycle them again with their new ReGirlfriend program! They give you a $15 credit to use on future purchases when you send them your worn out clothing—and the clothes get re-recycled for use #3 (and 4… and 5…). Even still, my leggings still have a few years to go. I have had them for 4 years now, worn them a lot, and they’ve held up incredibly. Like, they still look brand new.

Did I mention Girlfriend Collective provides free shipping on everything you order online? Boom.

Bottoms:

Compressive High-Rise Legging in Black

Girlfriend Collective Legging » From the Infinite Embers blog

These are Girlfriend Collective’s flagship leggings—the tried-and-true unbeatable staples. These leggings are also pictured on me in the collage at the top of this page! I’m absolutely in love with them.

I’m particularly living for these leggings in this set with the:

Olympia Compressive High-Rise Legging and Olympia Topanga BraGirlfriend Collective » From the Infinite Embers blog

Olympia’s the color and I’m in love—it’s the perfect shade of teal blue.

Tops:

Lola Bra in Black

Girlfriend Collective » From the Infinite Embers blog

Bodysuit:

Black Flex Bodysuit

Girlfriend Collective » From the Infinite Embers blog

From the Girlfriend Collective website:

Here’s a breakdown of each of our products and how it stacks up.

Packaging: Our packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable, so don’t throw it away!

Compressive Leggings + Bras: Made from 79% recycled polyester (or RPET) and 21% spandex, our leggings are made from 25 recycled post-consumer bottles and our bras are made from 11.

LITE Leggings: Made from recycled fishing nets and other waste using ECONYL® yarn, our LITE fabric is made up of 83% recycled nylon and 17% spandex.

Cupro: Our tees and tanks are 100% cupro, a delicate fiber made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind. Our yarn is made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility in Japan, then constructed at our SA8000-certified factory in Hanoi.


Wolven Threads

Wolven Threads‘ main campaign is to Make Sustainability Sexy, and I am here. for. it. They probably have my favorite designs out of the group—super fashionable cuts and trend/sexy designs. I’ve only tried one piece by them as well (the jogger pants below), and absolutely adore them!

As if they weren’t already sustainable enough, Wolven Threads aims to be completely carbon neutral and donates 1% of sales to organizations that do important work to create positive environmental change.

ALSO—I have a discount code for you to use for their clothes, as well!

Use my code INFINITE20 for 20% all purchases.

Happy shopping!

Bottoms:

Alpine Line Jogger Pants

Wolven Threads » From the Infinite Embers blogSo comfortable you’ll never want to take them off.

Indigo Legging

Wolven Threads » From the Infinite Embers blog

Tops:

Onyx Pyramid Top

Wolven Threads » From the Infinite Embers blog

 

Wolven Threads » From the Infinite Embers blog

Available in a variety of beautiful colors—I just have a thing for black.

Indigo Double Cross Top

Absolutely love the back on this bra.

Bodysuit:

Astral Ranger Reversible One Piece

Wolven Threads » From the Infinite Embers blog

From the Wolven Threads website:

We believe that beautiful fashion should not come at the expense of our planet. Our garments are made with OEKO-TEX certified Recycled P.E.T fabric (RPET), a fabric made from recycled plastic water bottles. This certification ensures that our material is free of harmful and toxic chemicals. Over 6.4 million tonnes of plastic trash enters the world’s oceans each year. RPET creates a second life for plastics, helping to keep plastic out of our planet’s delicate eco systems.

When we say we want to Make Sustainability Sexy, we truly mean it. We are a team of artists and activists, working to erase the negative footprints on our earth. Our sustainability practices are rooted in mindfulness and the power of choice—from day-to-day decisions to major resolutions. We believe that a collective effort of sustainability has the ability to change the trajectory towards a healthier, more verdant planet. See? Sexy.

Sustainable activewear: it’s the way to go. I hope you all fall in love with these companies as much as I have!

» Song Vibes «

Did I miss any great sustainable activewear brands out there? Let me know your favorites in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

This post is not sponsored, but I am an ambassador for Yoga Democracy and Wolven Threads, meaning I get a commission if you use my discount code. Win-win! I genuinely love these brands and know you will, too. Thank you so much for supporting the blog!