When you think of sportswear, the first thing that might come in mind is a good pair of fitted leggings with a tank top and sports bra. Little do we realise that behind the good fits of workout clothing lies huge amounts of lycra and elastane, often used to achieve a particular snugness required for better movement. The use of materials that aren’t eco-friendly makes it increasingly important to find better alternatives for unsustainable workout clothing that is not recyclable or decomposable.
Image used for representational purposes only.
The world of sustainable sportswear
Recognising this crisis, many international brands have used innovative ways to combat the waste and plastic problem. One of them includes sportswear giant Nike, which recently launched its new sustainable shoe collection, Happy Pineapple. The collection included sneakers made using Piñatex, which is made from the fibrous waste of pineapple leaves. The brand also dressed India’s national cricket teams in jerseys made out of recycled polyester, earlier in 2019. Puma, another sportswear brand, recently collaborated with model and activist Cara Delevingne for a collaborative yoga line, Exhale Collection, which was made using at least 70 per cent recycled polyester.
Image Source: Instagram/caradelevingne
India and Sustainable Workout Wear
Closer to home, homegrown brands are more inclined towards using natural fibres as opposed to polyester blends for sportswear. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given the strong ties to fabrics like cotton and silk that lie in cultural fabric crafts of India.
One such conscious brand is Maikai, which makes 100 per cent cotton sports bras with a small percentage of elastic used in the design. The bras are made in hand-block printed and locally sourced cotton in some of the most beautiful prints and colours. They don’t require padding and can double up as crop tops, given the comfortable fit and stylish prints. “Maikai sports bras are completely pad-free because pads are not completely hygienic as they accumulate sweat and they’re also not environment-friendly, contributing to more waste,” says Vidya Sethi, founder of Maikai. The bras are well-lined with cotton instead, to ensure full coverage and comfort.
Image Source: Instagram/maikaiclothing
Sethi, who was an avid user of bras from popular fast fashion brands, until a couple of years back, realised the need for good but sustainable workout wear, leading her to make her own. “I remember hoarding sports bras and trying all of them and realising that every couple of months the fit of the sports bras would change, despite the stretchable fabric. This would leave my wardrobe with a lot of synthetic materials which I wouldn’t be able to wear again because it would make me uncomfortable,” she adds.
Besides the sustainability aspect, Sethi points out how sizing is a major factor of concern when it comes to Indian consumers. “I wanted to create a fit which was suitable for Indian women, I specifically mention Indian women because I have noticed most fast fashion brands have sizes that don’t fit us as well as it should because of a dramatic difference in height and other measurement details when compared to women in the West and this is because body proportions are just genetically different for Indian women,” she says. The brand, which was launched just before the pandemic, does made-to-measure bras for all their orders, making bras true to fit for every customer.
Image Source: Instagram/maikaiclothing
Indian brands like Satva and Proyog opt for natural fibres as well to create their sportswear. While Satva uses organic cotton, usually blended with five per cent lycra, Proyog makes its collections using organic cotton and bamboo blended with Lycra. Both brands offer a whole range of top and bottom wear in the sportswear category.
Image Source: Instagram/satva_india, proyog
Busting sustainable Sportswear Myths
The lack of use of stretchable nylon might make one feel wary of the practicality of sportswear, but these Indian brands continue to prove them wrong. “Initially one of the biggest challenges I faced with Maikai was people not realising that they’re willing to pay a higher price for a particular sports garment from bigger brands, but they feel really uncomfortable adapting to the fact that a smaller brand could produce something that’s mindful and conscious and costs much lesser comparatively,” says Sethi.
Image Source: Instagram/maikaiclothing
While Sethi started her journey with Maikai to find the perfect sports bra, the brand has now expanded to yoga sets as well, suitable for all forms of workout. The body of the sets too, are made to measure, and are made using 100 per cent block printed cotton. The brand also has an upcoming drop that will include workout shorts that don’t ride up while in use.