Am I the only one who spends the vast majority of life in active wear!? I get up, put on gym clothes, workout, shower, and put on fresh gym clothes for the remainder of the day. I currently WFH so my business casual dress days are few and far between! Like other areas of my wardrobe, my active wear is a mix of good, better and best brands, mixing high and low price points. I have no problem splurging once in a while on gym clothes. My splurges are planned and for a special occasion (i.e. as a birthday treat to myself)! Today I’m sharing my favorite active wear brands and compared an outfit (crops, sports bra, and top) of the splurge brands, (treat yourself) to an outfit from a similar quality/style brand at a lesser price point. If you’re looking to splurge or want to stay under a certain budget-there’s an outfit for you!

Above Outfit: Lululemon (same as below)

Picture Credit: Elizabeth Grant Photography

In pricing comparison, I chose items marked as “best” or “top” sellers if available. Price does not include shipping or tax.

Splurge: Lululemon. I meannn, I love Lululemon. Who doesn’t? I wish I could swing the price tag for my whole fitness wardrobe vs. adding as investment pieces! If you’re looking to invest in a good pair of leggings, the Align pants is my jam and #1 recommendation. The Align leggings are the best, most comfortable pair(s) of leggings I own. Bonus: super high waisted so they suck you in. Mine show no signs of wear despite wearing them weekly (always hang dry).

Lululemon outfit: Align crops ($88) + Energy bra ($52) + Cool Racerback II ($48) = $188

Workout hydration of choice: Smartwater and Smartwater Sparkling | Weights: Similar | Bench: Similar

Pants: Zella | Bra: Zella (similar) | Sneakers: Converse

Steal: Zella. I just discovered the amazingness that is Zella not too long ago. I’ve been missing out! The quality and fit of Zella is top notch at half the price of Lululemon. Zella is exclusive to Nordstrom and you can find Zella and Z by Zella at Nordstrom Rack for an even deeper discount (these basic black leggings are under $27). I’m excited for the spring and summer Zella collection-these crops come in some fun colors, and these high waist leggings are a staple item! I’m also loving their sports bra and shorts selection!

Zella outfit: High Waist crop leggings ($54) + Rhythm Sports bra ($35) + Hollywood Mesh tank ($39)=$128

Z by Zella outfit: High Waist Daily leggings ($26.97) +  Protege X back sports bra ($14.97) + Spar high neck tank ($14.97) =$56.91

Splurge: Alo Yoga. I get more compliments on my Alo Yoga moto leggings (mine are burnt orange, similar to the earth color) than any other pants I own! The quality is amazing and they look fun and different. My wishlist Alo outfit: these Uv blue crops with the matching sports bra and tank. Their current collections scream spring with the light pastels, dove greys and whites (and of course reliable black always works)!

Alo outfit: High waist capri ($90) + Deluxe sports bra ($56) +  Cover tank ($54)=$200

Steal: Victoria’s Secret. I hadn’t shopped at Victoria’s Secret for a while, but I stopped in during the annual sale. I was SO impressed by their Knockout line look as well as the quality. Their Knockout tights come in tons of colors and remind me of the Alo Yoga styles at a  lower price point! I also love anything open back, and this tank (comes in 9 colors) is no exception-wear it with this under $25 sports bra! Victoria’s Secret doesn’t run sales often, but when they do, you can snag pants around $30 and tops around $15!

Victoria’s Secret Outfit: Total Knockout tights ($79.50) + Ultra light sport bra ($24.50) + open back tank ($24.50) =$128.50

Splurge: Good hYOUman. I love the kitchy and motivating says-I wore these “bye” leggings here-so sassy (new version of the bye leggings linked here). Although I do HIIT in these leggings, I find them best suited for a barre class (or yoga or pilates if that’s your jam)! Some of my current faves from Good hYOUman are the passionate leggings and Motivated tank. (PS: your first order gets 20% off)!

Good hYOUman outfit: The Logan legging ($80) + Passion bra ($52) + Motivated tank ($48)=$180

Steal: TJ Maxx (.com) or Marshalls (in store only). If you need an active wear update without breaking the bank, look no further than TJ’s and/or Marshalls (TJ Maxx is online, FYI)! These lace back leggings are similar to the ones I wore in this post (for under $15), also loving this tie back top. TJ Maxx is my go-to for afforable gym shorts!

TJ Maxx outfit: Lace up capri ($14.99) + Under Armour bra ($19.99) + Flyaway back tank ($12.99) =$47.97

Top: ADIDAS (similar) | Shorts: Lululemon (similar) | Shoes: ADIDAS

Other brands:

Splurge: Outdoor Voices. This is my next “to try” brand! They have endless mix and match options, which I am all about! My eyes are on the 7/8 length spring collection (so many I love it’s tough to choose–ooooh okay-faves are the lake/dove/rose quartz and navy/deep sea/mist) and the tri-tone slash back crop. If multi-tonal isn’t your jam, the tech sweat crops look just as fabulous as does the tie tank! ‘ll post a review as soon as I try them!

Outdoor Voices Outfit: 7/8 Spring Leggings ($95) + Slash back Crop ($60) +Tie Tank ($40)=$195

Steal: Girlfriend Collective. this brand is COOL! Their clothing is created from recycled water bottles. I wear my black leggings from them constantly-I prefer to lounge in them vs. work out, but I love them all the same. When I got my black leggings they only had black, but now they offer a variety of colors!

Girlfriend Collective Outfit: High Rise Leggings 3/4 ($58) + Paloma bra ($38) + Celia Tank ($28)=$124

Steal: Old Navy. One of my favorite pairs of leggings ever was from Old Navy’s active line. The quality is excellent (no see through pants here), and we all know how much I love Old Navy prices!

Old Navy Outfit: High Rise Compression Crops ($25) + Strappy Sports Bra ($22) + Performance Tank ($14.99)=$61.99 (30% off=$43.93)

ADIDAS: I didn’t even mention the “big brands” in athletic apparel, but I love the retro look of adidas lately-check out my top in this post!

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What’s your favorite activewear brand? Do you splurge or shop for steals when it comes to activewear?

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