Seated in class on most any given morning, I am shocked to look around and see a prominent amount of my female peers wearing athletic clothes. Whether its leggings, sweats, shorts, or tanks, these items seem to dominate a majority of our clothing choices. 

Considering that our clothes are on display so much, it is important to select clothing that suits you and is comfortable, especially when looking at activewear. For this reason, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite brands and pieces. Of course, my mind is not limited to this, but if asked for a few suggestions, these would be my first recommendations.

Lululemon

This statement cries basic, but announcing anything else would definitely be a lie: Lululemon will forever be my tried and true. As much as I can attempt to make this not read like every other teenage girl’s Lululemon review, that would be rather counterproductive. Simply, it likely is not. But does that not speak for itself? The brand has managed to seize the attention of a major demographic and hold it; the attention of a class in society whose infatuation jumps from trend to trend, company to company, and yet, interests still lie in the grasp of this company. 

Lululemon is able to maintain its high status through a variety of promises to its customers. Though products tend to be rather expensive, a return and exchange policy cancels out the costliness. Each and every time I have had a damaged product, I have been able to bring it in and get it fixed. They also hem all merchandise for free; my short legs reap the benefits of this when I struggle to fit in regular sizes and lengths. 

Lululemon’s Align Shop encompasses all I look for in athleisure wear. The leggings, joggers, and tank tops being my personal favorites. The Align pant is advertised mainly as a yoga pant, meant to be used for less demanding and laborious tasks. I would recommend sticking to just this. In my experience, they snag easier than they say and the lightest colors sweat. However, the tank top serves a much more versatile role. I have worn mine from hanging out with friends, going on a run, even hiking through water in The Narrows at Zion National Park. 

I would also like to shout out one of my must-haves: the hotty hot short. I prefer the 2.5 inch and high-rise option, but that is definitely a choice of preference. They are my favorite running option, and I find the waistband much more comfortable than the Speed Up short. They have a huge assortment of color choices and I really just think the cut is flattering. 

When in the budget, my first choice will always be Lulu, but when I have less funding to work with, I have a few other favorites.

Athleta

Similar to Lululemon, I can justify paying sometimes viewed as unreasonable amounts of money with the offered return policy. Countless times in middle school, I tore holes in the knees of my leggings. Athleta makes it simple to send them back. Especially for younger kids, or when used in intense workouts, I find this so helpful.

Athleta girl, a smaller part of the company making girl’s clothes, is also something I tend to take advantage of when shopping at Athleta. I find the women’s sizes to be bigger than most smalls and extra smalls would be in comparable brands—Athleta uses Small, Medium, Large, etc. rather than number sizing. These products tend to be significantly cheaper but hold to the same quality of products as all of their clothing. 

Sustainability holds a major importance in fashion, especially when looking for the elastic and comfortable materials needed in athletic wear. Athleta is a certified B Corp in efforts to create more ethical and sustainable processes. This makes the company much more appealing to me. 

Personally, I know less about the specific cuts and materials Athleta has to offer. Although, I have tried various fabrics and leggings. In seventh grade, I loved the Stash Your Treasures Tight Leggings. Unfortunately, I have in some sense grown away from the pocketed legging idea. The pocket doesn’t seem to have much of a use for me anymore. Truly,I just don’t really like how they look. Looking at the appeal though, the material is very comfortable. They are soft and tend to be a little thicker than those of Lulu’s. I like this in the winter to wear under ski pants or just when being outside in general. 

Nike

When I think of Nike, my mind doesn’t first go to the clothing, but to shoes. Since they carry such a wide assortment of purposes, various cuts, and colors, I truly think this is where Nike specializes. 

Looking more at clothes, Nike’s sweats come first and foremost to my mind. 

I love Nike sweatshirts—crewnecks, crops, zip-ups, oversized, and all of their other options. Nike dominates the brands I have discussed above in their variety of colors and cuts. They excel at offering a variety in everything they produce. Nike makes comfortable and warm clothing that tends to be durable. Wash after wash, I always find my sweats without fading colors or appearing worn. 

Sweatpants, on the other hand, are less appealing. The waistband is what gets to me; in all of my tie-waistband Nike sweatpants, I find them falling and becoming loose. 

Over soccer shorts in the snow, I will throw on any pair of sweats to keep myself from the cold. When I throw on my favorite pair of Nike sweatpants, a navy, almost teal pair, I find myself pulling them up for much of my practice. While lounging, these pants work. For working out, they just aren’t practical.

Monitoring the environmental impact, Nike has been recognized as a sustainability leader and does its part when the environment is concerned. Nike also works to incorporate a more diverse group of people into its company. Seeing companies with such a mature and progressive view on fashion is refreshing. I thank Nike for this.

I tackle life in leggings and sweats. Finding those most suitable for my day-to-day activities has been a tedious process, sifting through brand after brand to find my choice selections. Of course, I have dipped my feet barely ankle-deep into the realms of workout and athleisure suitable clothing. And, though I find these to be the highest tier in activewear, there is obviously an ample amount of brands I am yet to try.