An insider’s scoop on the best pieces at Athleta

You know when you want to stick your foot in your mouth for something you previously said? (SAME) haha. More specifically I’ve had some opinion changes since I shared this post about Old Navy’s active line .

Not to diss Old Navy’s active live (I adore these tank tops!), but I now am willing to pay a little more for a more comfortable and better fitting product. That doesn’t mean every piece of activewear I own is from Athleta, but rather I’m purchasing fewer but better quality items that I adore. Between coaching and working out, I spend anywhere from 15-20 hours a week in activewear, and I want to feel, look and perform my best during those hours 🙂
Before we dive in to all the goods, I want to give a little more background on Athleta and why I choose to support them. Athleta works hard to be involved in their communities, so even though it is part of a large corporation, it feels local. The host frequent community events, bring local instructors and studios into the store for free classes, and help support small businesses in the Grand Rapids community. Aside from their local involvement, Athleta is working hard on a national level as well. They are a B Corp, which means they prioritize more than just profits. A definition for you –
(Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.)

Along with this, I can wholeheartedly stand behind their 5 core values:
Movement Matters
Performance Empowers
Design for Life
Sisterhood Elevates
Sustainability Sustains Us
If you’re interested, you can visit their site (here!) to learn more and dive deeper into those values.

Now, let’s chat the best of the best from Athleta! Back in April I spent some time with Lauren and Shahad (aka Shooshi) at my local Athleta. All the women that work at the Grand Rapids Athleta are awesome, and I’m lucky to know majority of them now through community engagement and working at Impact. I spent almost two hours in the store, trying on all different styles of leggings, shorts, tanks and bras. I wanted to make sure I did my research before sharing, while also choosing the best pieces for my needs. Working with those two was perfect, since the three of us all have completely different body types. I wanted to get recommendations for all women, not just someone who is built similarly to me! I’m going to go through by category of item (as you’ll see below) and I will share what I’m wearing in each set of photos.

First off – let’s chat sizing real quick. I have found, along with my friends, that I stay true to size in Athleta’s tops + size down one in the bottoms! Just a little FYI!

Favorite Bras:

Sports Bras – you want them to be supportive but not too tight, comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time, and bonus points if they’re attractive. I have a variety of different bras, and some serve different purposes. Today though, I want to share the favorites from the group (but if you want to search through yourself, their website breaks the bras down into categories based on size and level of support!)

Smaller cup sizes:
Suryana Bra (I’m wearing it above) – this bra is so comfortable! Lauren and I both love this one, and Emily ended up buying it last weekend as well 🙂
Harmony Bra – I recently purchased this one and it is SO stinking comfortable. I shared a little about it on instagram, but it could actually double as a bikini top if you needed it to. Definitely made for lower impact workouts and smaller cup sizes (A-B).
Hyper Focused (A-C) – I own the 2017 version of this bra (they have since updated it) and it is a simple classic. Comfortable cut, good support, comes in plenty of cute colors haha. Everything you want in a sports bra.

Larger cup sizes:
Gigi Bra – Shoosh had nothing but good things to saw about the Gigi Bra! The molded foam cups + higher cut are perfect for support and coverage. Hyper Focused (D-DD) –Same bra I mentioned before, but specifically designed to offer better support but still the same freedom of movement.

**Both the Hyper Focused bras are also available in a long line option if you prefer that! (A-C Longline) & (D-DD Longline)

Favorite Tops:

The Conscious Crop – I’m not really a person that works out in a crop top, but because I have a short torso, this is *barely* cropped when I pair it with leggings. I went bold with pink, but my friend Mel has the black and she wears it out + at the gym. Another versatile option 🙂 (I did size up to a medium in this)
Vapor Muscle Tank – I have this in both fiber optic & black, and they are great. Super lightweight! I personally enjoy shorter tanks, because sometimes the extra fabric gets in my way.
Shanti Tank in Powervita – Really I adore the powervita fabric, and the color on the green tank I’m wearing below was too pretty to pass up. Since Athleta does free hemming, I ended up getting this tank shortened to right around my hip. I love that they offer this service so you can find the best fit for you!
Foothills Tee – Emily got this tee this weekend and the olive color is a great neutral for inside and outside the gym.
Organic Crop Tee – The perfect tee to wear at the gym + in daily life!

Favorite Leggings:

Salutations Powervita Tight – These are Shoosh’s top choice for Yoga & Barre. (Seriously cannot say enough good things about the Powervita fabric)
Velocity Stash Pocket 7/8 Tight – Lauren loves them for high Impact, Renee likes them for running, I wore them for deadlifting! They are very lightweight, have side pockets (as you can see above) and an adjustable drawstring in the waist. I like them for everything but for my squat day, as I prefer the Elation 7/8 Tight for that.
Elation 7/8 Tight in Powervita – for EVERYTHING. (My friend Sarah who is a trainer, crossfitter and owns her own Barre studio, also ADORES the Elation 7/8 Tight in powervita, as well as Emily, one of my friends, fellow Impact Coach, and crossfitter!). I wore them for my squat day and was amazed when I didn’t have to pull them up at all. They stayed put the entire time!

Favorite Shorts:

Mesh Racer Run Short – This was my runner up pair. I prefer the Running Free Short to these, but Emily preferred these to the Running Free (so both good options). The inseam here is 4 in, whereas the Running Free is 3.5 in.
Running Free Short – This is my personal favorite short. I have the black camo and a teal color and I find myself reaching for them frequently. I like them for hot days coaching at the gym, but also hikes, walks, jogs and upper body lifting. The back zip pocket is quite convenient.
Contender 9 Inch Short – If you prefer tighter spandex shorts, my friend Lisa likes these for running! They don’t ride up or fall down.

This was really only a look into the activewear side of Athleta – they also have a wide range of comfortable and stylish clothing that falls more into the everyday life section. I know my friend Lizzie adores their Skyline pant, and I can say that the Sayulita Jumpsuit is beautiful in person and feels like you’re wearing nothing (I had to try it on last weekend haha).
I hope this helpful in some regard to you, whether you learned about Athleta as a whole, or found some pieces to add to your activewear rotation.
I know that some of these pieces are quite expensive, and Athleta does not often have sales, but they do have a friends + family sale twice a year. This next one will be in the fall and I promise to share details about it this year!
Also, if you are a fitness instructor, get yourself to your local Athleta and get your FitPro card set up – this allows you to purchase full price items at 30% off (all the time!)

Thanks for stopping by today friends, and big thanks to Lauren, Shoosh and Athleta GR for working with me on this post.
have an amazing Thursday!
xo, Maddy

PS. I linked my favorites that I own and love below (many of which were mentioned above!)