I’m gonna be honest about something: I rarely have the motivation to hit the gym. Something about voluntarily making myself stinky and sweaty in front of other people is just, for lack of a better term, yucky to me. Not only that, but the gym isn’t exactly my runway: I wear the same pair of black crossover-waist leggings and black longline sports bra every single day like some kind of uniform. I wish I could say it’s giving Meredith Blake, but alas, it is not.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was dragging myself to do my 12-3-30 treadmill workout (IYKYK) after work, all I could think about is what cute outfit I was going to wear to happy hour later that evening. That thought alone had me absolutely crushing my workout—the sooner I finished, the sooner I could strut around in my little silk scarf-top.
That’s when it dawned on me: I always use my outfits as a motivator to do everything, so why not the gym?
After a very quick Google search for “cute gym clothes,” I came across The Girlfriend Collective—a female-founded and sustainable fashion brand, dedicated to making comfortable pieces for the gym and beyond. Sustainable and super cute? Add to cart.
Not only were the reviews glowing, but TikTok also seems to love their products as well, with creators praising their sustainability mission, comfort, and size inclusivity.
So, I decided to give into the TikTok hype, and give The Girlfriend Collective a try—not only to see if their product holds up at the gym, but also to see if the pieces were stylish enough to style for everyday life as well. Spoiler alert: I found myself a brand new Girlfriend.
What Is The Girlfriend Collective?
As mentioned before, The Girlfriend Collective is a slow-fashion, sustainable brand founded by Ellie Dinh and her husband, Quang Dinh. Their products are made with recycled materials like post-consumer water bottles, fishing nets retrieved from the seas, fabric scraps, and other waste. The coolest part? You can actually see each product’s recycled makeup on their respective pages.
The Girlfriend Collective is also a size-inclusive brand—with sizes ranging from XXS to 6XL in skirts, shorts, leggings, dresses, tops, and more. This mission goes to show that gym, health, and wellness culture isn’t one-size-fits-all, and everyone deserves to feel good in athleisure—both in the gym and out.
But, Did The GirlFriend Collective Live Up To The Hype?
If you know me IRL, you’d know that my style is literally just the color black. From my hair, to my eyeliner, to my favorite pair of Levis, I tend to stay away from color in favor of neutrals—except for the occasional fun-colored accessory. So, for the sake of a challenge, I chose a light, sage green (the site named it “Zest”) skort and top set from the FLOAT collection—an assortment of pieces that are compressive and supportive, but still soft and lightweight.
The FLOAT Ultralight Skort was not only wildly cute and soft to the touch, but it was also flattering on the areas I typically tend to avoid showing off (my midsection and thighs). The skort flatters the waist but still falls effortlessly on the hips—creating a super flattering look.
Oh, and it has pockets.
Not only did I wear this as a part of a set at the gym, but I also wore the skort to brunch a few days later! Paired with a chic white button-down, I felt incredibly “country club chic.” It was comfortable, flattering, and stylish enough that nobody could tell I was wearing a workout piece to brunch. Score!
The second piece of the set, the Luca V-Neck Tank, was the real winner for me, though. While I did my cardio, the fabric was breathable enough to make sweating comfortable, while also being compressive enough to keep everything in place (f you know what I mean).
Outside of the gym, the top was comfortable and absolutely perfect for lounging around the house. However, when my girlfriends asked me to go out for drinks, the Luca top looked great with a pair of simple jeans. The V-neckline was flattering and perfect to wear to a chill brewery or your favorite bar.
And so, the verdict is in—and it rules in favor of The Girlfriend Collective. Not only were the pieces flattering, supportive, and great for working out, but they also made me feel comfortable with areas of myself that I typically find hard to embrace. Now, I’m motivated to get dressed in my cute little workout skort and flounce around my apartment complex’s gym. Take back what I said about the gym not being my runway because after this, it totally is.