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What is the perfect sports kit? That is the question we set out to answer, talking to sport and fitness enthusiasts all over the country. From Zumba dancers in Bristol to marathon runners in Leeds and gym bunnies in Thurrock, we asked different groups for the activewear they swear by and why it works for them.
Sea swimmers in Felixstowe had conflicting views about wetsuits, but all swore by brightly coloured tow floats and swim caps. Boxers in east London were united on the best kind of glove, but had different takes on clothing choices. Cyclists in the Wirral had differing levels of bike-collecting addiction, but agreed on the benefits of being Mamil (middle-aged men in Lycra).
Finding the right kit is a matter of trial and error, and what is comfortable for one person can be sensory torture for another. Cost can also be an issue, but spending more doesn’t always equate to a better experience, as these interviews show.
Above all, what is clear is that when you do find perfection, it can enhance how you feel about yourself when participating in any given sport. All that’s left to do iseither bulk buy or devise a very efficient washing system.
Here is some inspiration to get you started …
The Zumba dancers
When Sally Gulliford first plucked up the courage to start going to Zumba in Bristol in 2019 with her daughter, she didn’t want to stand out. “I wore baggy clothes and stood at the back,” says Gulliford, 57, who is a civil servant and lives in the village of Backwell near the city.
Amy Smith, who takes the class, reassured Gulliford that everyone would be focused on the instructor doing the moves at the front. The 38-year-old from Bristol had herself only recently regained the confidence to teach, and to wear tight-fitting workout clothes, having started leading classes after the birth of her two daughters. She decided her sessions would be held in a nightclub in the dark: “This creates an atmosphere where people not only feel like it’s a party, which it should be, but lose their inhibitions more. It is like a girls’ night out – we compare outfits and ask where things are from.” The clothing choices of attendees reflect this disco atmosphere. “I wear bright colours now,” Gulliford says. Her daughter still goes, too: “And borrows my gear.”
“You want to completely submerge in the workout,” says Lucy Law, 35, a psychological therapist from Yeovil, who has been going to classes since 2024. This is why the right attire is key: “You don’t want to be worrying about your back fat or your side boobs, or anything rubbing.”
With all the jiggling about, a sturdy bra is crucial; all the women agree that M&S’s Goodmove ultimate support non-wired sports bra (worn by Smith and Gulliford, above centre and right, £15) is the best. The zip-front design ensures “you’re not going to fall out”, Gulliford says. Law also rates the F&F active zip-front high support sports bra (seen on her above left, £18), “because it’s so soft”.
Gulliford says Zumba Wear’s mesh tops (worn by Smith, above centre, from £24.70) are popular to keep cool and Halara’s skorts and skort dresses (worn by Law, above left, from £17.95) work well for bum-shaking. “You don’t want something to feel like a wetsuit,” Law says, “but you want it tight enough that it flows with your body. A massive one for me, especially with trousers or shorts, is rolling down at the top. I pull them up to suck the belly in and I don’t want to be spending the workout pulling them up.” Gymshark’s Light Hold Leggings (£38) and Matalan’s Souluxe leggings (from £12.50) do the job: “They do not move on your tummy.”
Dressing up for Zumba has helped the women to feel good about themselves. “It has definitely given me a lot more confidence in how I look at myself and what I wear,” Gulliford says.
To find Amy Smith’s online and in-person classes, follow her on Instagram at ZDP_Amy
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Marks & Spencer Goodmove sports bra
Adidas boxy mesh T-shirt
Marks & Spencer bubble hem skort
Sweaty Betty Power 7/8 gym leggings
The city runners
“I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t feel the heat; I absolutely do,” says Habiba Hassan, 26, of pounding the pavements of Leeds with the Lost Culture running club. “It can be quite difficult at times, especially when we are doing long distances, and in the summertime.”
Hassan, an NHS dietitian who completed this year’s London marathon, says that her running look has evolved as modest activewear has improved. “What was available five years ago is very different to now,” Hassan says. “I’m not in a position where I have to wear a men’s oversized T-shirt any more. There are brands that cater for me.” Hassan sources breathable tops that are intentionally loose-fitting, such as her Haya Active essential training top (above centre, £39). She is always being asked where she got her loose trousers: they are Promover yoga trousers with pockets (above centre, £27.99).
The founder of the club, André Lance, 35, says that while they are an undeniably stylish group, participants are encouraged to prioritise more practical considerations when dressing for training sessions and races. He wears Kiprun’s 2 in 1 long-distance trail running shorts (seen on Nico Junior, above left, £39.99) – which have an inner layer “that feels like it stops chafing, which is a positive” – and an oversized, aerated T-shirt, along with basic running shades or a skullcap in winter.
Chafing is a concern for Hassan, too, especially as “where I chafe changes year on year”. She finds “softer, buttery fabrics” are better. Adidas’s cushioned socks (£8 for three pairs) help on long runs.
Junior, 28, who works in tech and runs with the group, sings the praises of his Coros Pace 4 GPS sport watch (above left, £229): “You can determine on a run whether you’re doing too much and it helps you to pace yourself.” Hassan has just moved from an Apple Watch to a Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS (£111.99), saying it is more tailored to running. Lance uses JBL’s Endurance Race 2 earbuds (£59.99), which “stay in my ear all the way”; Junior prefers Beats By Dre’s Powerbeats Pro 2 (£249.99). They go around the ear and, he says, stop his head feeling heavy on long runs.
Vests are handy for trail runs and races, to carry gels and other items. Hassan loves the Salomon Active Skin 4 running vest (£95). “It has lots of zips, which are really good for your keys,” Hassan says, “and deeper pockets for your phone. At the back, there is a really deep pocket if you want to carry extra layers or a coat. It distributes the weight, which is why I love it so much, because I found that belts hitting against your tummy can cause abdominal pain. It comes with soft water bottles that are like pouches.”
They all save carbon-plated trainers for racing. “I wear Puma Deviate Nitro 4 running shoes (as does Junior, above left, £150) for training,” Lance says, “as they are more centred on comfort and stability. For race day, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 shoes (above right, £154) have knocked minutes off my time. It feels like I’ve got magic powers.”
Lost Culture running club meet in Leeds on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday; instagram.com/lostculture.run
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Puma modest oversized tee
On performance T
Free People Carpe Diem shorts
Sums Club merino socks
The boxers
“The high you get from sparring is like nothing I’ve experienced before,” says Mackenzie Qu, a 23-year-old from Hackney who works in retail, “and I’ve played a lot of sports.” One of the downsides is that boxing involves a lot of gear, explains Qu, who took up the sport last October, signing up to Hot Girl Boxing in east London. “I’ve survived OK so far without a lot of it, but if I take it any more seriously, I’m going to have to invest in gloves at least.” It is definitely worth borrowing gloves to start, says Ailsa Mullins, 34, the coach at Hot Girl, but you need to be “prepared for the stench of putting on gloves that 30 people sweated in before you!”
For Qu’s first fight in November, they plan to wear Muay Thai-style shorts (with a high elastic waist and silky flared leg openings) with a bright yellow waistband, found at a branch of Traid. “I thrift most of the sportswear I own,” Qu says, adding that Oxfam, Crisis and British Heart Foundation shops are the best for unearthing treasures.
Also preparing for the November fight is Manuela Campbell, 43, who lives in east London and works for a trade organisation. As the name of the club suggests, “I get really hot, so at this time of year I am usually in something sleeveless. If it’s not sweltering, I prefer a baggy shirt: I don’t want my top to ride up. I like to keep it loose, so there’s a bit of airflow,” she says.
Mullins wears a sports bra: “I like something with high coverage that’s quite compact – anything that can push you in – because your chest is in the striking zone.” She rates Gymshark’s Everyday seamless racerback sports bra (£28), and Lululemon is another go-to brand.
Campbell is prepared to indulge in decent gloves – she just got new ones made by Rival – which last for around two years. “All the Hot Girls wear Rivals,” Mullins says. “They are a really good entry-level glove.” She recommends the RV7 Fitness Plus bag gloves (£54.99) she’s wearing above left.
Having a good supply of wraps – worn under gloves for extra protection – is non-negotiable. “I stockpile wraps,” says Campbell, who owns leopard-print Hot Girl-branded versions and Meister’s Semi-elastic hand wraps (£7 a pair). Gum shields are also a must if sparring. Head guards are always worn in fights, but Campbell feels safer wearing them more generally: “My brother has been doing martial arts for years and I don’t want my nose to look like his.”
When it comes to footwear, Campbell and Mullins favour boxing boots. “If you’re going to stick at it, get those first,” Mullins says. “You can borrow most other things but your own pair of boots will make such a difference.” Adidas’s Box Hog classic shoes (above left and right, £60) are her favourites.
The boxers all find the act of getting dressed to box inspiring: “There is something about the ritual of wrapping your hands before starting a session,” Campbell says, “that makes you feel very powerful, and capable of a lot more than what people have told you. I was told from a very young age that I wasn’t a sporty girl – turns out I’m actually quite athletic.”
Hot Girl Boxing holds sessions in Hackney, east London, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Andanola oversized T-shirt
Suzi Wong classic SW amateur boxing shorts
Everlast Pro Elite boxing boots
Vuori energy top
The sea swimmers
Amanda Bowden, 59, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, got into sea swimming on “a bit of a whim”, when someone invited her to do it to mark her 50th birthday: “I lasted about seven minutes, then didn’t do it again for a year.” After getting the bug properly, though, Bowden signed up for a 6km swim and it took off from there.
There was one slight problem: she struggled to find swimwear “in colours and coverage that reflected how I wanted to present myself”. As a sewing school owner, the obvious thing to do was to make her own swimsuit – using specialist material, sourceable from companies such as Funki Fabrics. She wore it when she swam the Channel solo at the age of 56 – “It had a teal background with white polka dots and red crabs all over it” – and has made others since (above left). If buying a costume, she says, it’s essential to try it out first: “Rotate your arms and move about in it. Bend over and see if your boobs come out. If you’re an endurance swimmer, look for something lined, with well-finished edges. The more bands and straps there are, the more risk of chafing.”
Bowden is part of the Swimscapes club in Felixstowe, as is Jenny Saltmarsh, 52, a health and safety consultant. Saltmarsh is a fan of Funkita swimsuits, which come in fun patterns (like the one above right) and fit her well. In winter, she opts for a Zone3 Ti+ thermal high neck swimsuit (£75). Neither swimmer wears a wetsuit: “Too much faff,” Saltmarsh says, though, without one, Bowden laughs, “it can be a bit brutal”.
Seamus Bennett, 61, a swimming coach and councillor who set up Swimscapes in 2012, wears an Orca wetsuit (above centre, from £149) from March to June. He recommends a proper, flexible swimming one: “A general surfing or sailing suit may actually hinder you.”
In summer, he likes Funky Trunks’ Jammers (£39.95). He feels the cold in his hands, so wears Lomo Tri-X neoprene gloves (£21), but avoids boots, which he says “slow you down”.
There are safety concerns to swimming all year round. To help, Bowden uses “a highly visible tow float and a bright cap, so people can see me”, while Saltmarsh wears SurfEars 4.0 vented earplugs (£54.95) to avoid surfer’s ear, “bony growths, from cold water coming in”. Bennett recommends Garmin’s epix Pro Gen 2 watch (above centre, £299.99), which he says has a better battery life than others, and Bowden favours Crocs for navigating the stony shore. As for goggles, Bennett wears Arena Cobra Tri Mirror triathlon swipe goggles (above centre, £68.99), because “the anti-fog lasts a long time and they’re really clear and comfortable”. In open water, Saltmarsh wears “polarised Zone3 Venator-X swim goggles (above right, £35) and a “necessary evil” swimming cap – the brighter the better.
How do they feel about the divisive issue of changing robes? Saltmarsh says she loves her Dryrobe (above right, £175). “Everybody in my house has one – even the dog. My friends got me a badge: ‘All dry robe, no knickers.’” Bowden, of course, made her own.
Swimscapes meet on Saturday and Sunday all year round, plus Monday May-Oct; facebook.com/FelixstoweSwimscapes
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Speedo Vanquisher 3.0 mirror goggles
Swimcore jammers
Finisterre Kaia 2mm Yulex swimsuit
Two Bare Feet long cuff swim gloves
The weightlifters
Lauren Briggs, 30, from Thurrock in Essex, hadn’t been to a gym before she lost both her legs after having sepsis in 2021. “I’d never done any sport before,” says Briggs, who also lost her admin job in the aftermath of her illness. Now she goes to Alternative Movement, an adaptive gym five minutes from her home, four times a week for group and individual PT sessions. Briggs is able to deadlift more than her own weight, and has taken part in a triathlon and an adaptive competition.
“Being a bilateral amputee, I really overheat,” she says. “Because I’ve lost two of my extremities, the heat doesn’t dissipate; it all comes up through my body and head. I find that tight clothing insulates you more, so I try to wear airy clothes that don’t cling to me too much.” She opts for loose and light materials, and wears “quite a lot of Adidas” (such as the T-shirt above centre) because she likes their sweat-proof material. Shorts work better than leggings with her prosthetic legs – she’s a fan of these Halara SoftlyZero Airy super high waisted 2-in-1 yoga shorts (£19.95). “They’ve got tight shorts inside but they are still loose, so it’s good for when you are getting up and down off the floor. Sometimes with baggy shorts, being female, I feel a bit exposed.
“I have very sweaty hands,” Briggs adds, which can make lifting tricky, “so gloves do help. But I also use chalk, such as Bear Grip’s liquid chalk (£8), because with the gloves, when you’re sweating in them, it can sometimes cause friction and you get blisters. With the chalk, you don’t.”
Another Alt Movement gym-goer, Wilf O’Donoghue, 17, who is a student, says he prefers sweat-proof T-shirts and elasticated shorts, and Uniqlo is his go-to: “It’s affordable and easy to work out in.” He likes these shorts (above left) and the Dry-Ex T-shirt (£19.90).
George Barrett, 24, believes having a uniform for the gym helps him to stick with it, as a person with autism spectrum disorder: “Comfort and routine is baked into our identity.” M&S shorts and Under Armour vests meet his sensory needs, and he uses Sennheiser in-ear headphones (above right, from £34.99) to cancel out any noise: “I mainly listen to music with a lot of power behind it.” As for footwear, Barrett says his Skechers Slip-ins trainers (above right, £90) are “loose and breathable”.
Briggs has found the best gym shoes for her are RAD’s One V2 (£130), which she’s wearing above and says are good all-rounders. “For weightlifting, I’ve realised that your footwear is crucial.”
There are adaptive clothing ranges, including at Primark, but not all offer sportswear and most are on the pricey side, according to Briggs. “As soon as you market something as adaptive or for the disabled community, the prices do seem to hike up quite drastically,” she says. “A lot of disabled people, we’re not working, we’re on benefits, and we’re paying premium prices for something just to be able to live our day-to-day life – that’s not really fair.”
Alternative Movement offers a range of sessions at different times across the week at its gym in Grays, Thurrock, Essex; altmovement.co.uk
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Nakedfeel Origin yoga shorts
Primark adaptive wireless bralette
Next inclusively sized slim fit cargo joggers
Adidas Supernova Rise 3 adaptive running shoes
The Sunday cyclists
In 2016, a group of friends from Bromborough, Wirral, signed up for the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool bike ride. Most had not ridden much before, or not for a while, and their first training ride, which they were very proud of, was 11 miles. “We had mountain bikes and were wearing Aldi’s best gear from the middle aisle,” laughs John Moore, 62, who works at the University of Manchester.
After the race, they agreed they had enjoyed it so much, they would go for weekly Sunday rides around Cheshire and north Wales. “We used to look at road cyclists and say we’re never going to be like them, we’re never going to be Mamils [middle-aged men in Lycra],” Moore says. “But six months later, we all started. I suppose it’s more aerodynamic.” Simon “Bob” Smith, 61, who is retired, agrees: “There’s no flapping.” Chris Weatherston, also 61 and retired, thinks it’s more comfortable. “Not to look at, admittedly,” Moore adds.
Over a curry at Wirral Tandoori, Brombay Bicycle Club was born. One member, Garry Swaby, a graphic designer, came up with a concept for the club jersey, converting the Indian flag. The curry house even sponsored the kit. They got the design printed on a L’Etape Jersey (above centre, £50). Quickly, bikes were upgraded and, inevitably, collections grew, turning it into an expensive hobby. “I’ve got six bikes,” Smith admits. “I’ve got seven,” Weatherston says.
Moore has just two and says he loves his Giant TCR Advanced 2 (£1,839): “It’s light, has a carbon fibre frame and handles really well.” If you are starting out, go for a main brand and read reviews, Smith says, and take it for a test drive if the shop will allow you to, Weatherston suggests.
Padded cycle shorts are a must, with the group rating the Castelli Endurance 4 Short (£140) – “You can ride for hours in it,” Smith says, adding that, when not in the club kit, “I like my Castelli Climber’s 3.0 SL2 Jersey (above left, £41.99). It looks great, is lightweight and breathable, and has UV protection.” As for helmets, Smith, who has “come off a couple of times”, favours Specialized’s Align II (£45).
Finding a decent saddle – the SLR Boost TM Superflow (£134.99) – for added comfort has been a gamechanger, Moore says, and his Mavic shoes with cleats (above centre, from £101.98) “make a massive difference”. Smith gets “sore palms after a few hours”, so needs gloves (above left, from £18), adding, “Glasses are important, not just to look cool, but to stop getting bits in your eyes.” Moore has “Oakley sunglasses that are brilliant”, the RSLV 141s (above centre, £188). The club’s local bike shop, K Cycles, is their first port of call for kit and advice.
This summer, the club marked 10 years of cycling together by returning to do the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool again, in memory of Chris Lewis, a member who died in June. They proudly wore the Brombay Bicycle kit. “Our dazzling apparel definitely gets noticed,” Moore says. “At a time when flags can be divisive, it is great to wear something flag-based that gets such positive reactions.”
Find a group near you at cyclinguk.org/local-groups
The Guardian fashion desk recommends …
Santini windproof vest
Castelli arm warmers
Le Col sport jersey
Rapha core cargo shorts
