There was a moment when gym style became oddly joyless. Everyone was zipped into the same sculpting sets, the same neutral palettes, the same idea that performance had to look polished or had to fall under the umbrella of the "clean girl aesthetic". Somewhere along the way, working out started to feel a sport of conformity rather than a release. Now, thankfully, that grip is loosening.

A growing wave of gym-goers is ditching hyper-matched activewear in favour of something far more personal: vintage and thrifted sportswear. Think oversized tees with faded graphics, track pants or parachute pants with a little swish to them, old tennis skirts, low-rise shorts, and garments that weren’t designed to “optimise” anything. The look is mostly about character – a harkening back to the gym clothes of the pre-2010s that we often found donned by muses like Princess Di, Mary Kate and Ashley or Britney Spears. And now, we're seeing the look transposed onto a new wave of fashionable creative minds – from Zoe Kravtiz to Addison Rae and Bella Hadid.

Part of the appeal is visual. Vintage athletic clothes simply look cool. Older silhouettes play with proportion in ways modern gymwear rarely does. Colours are louder, prints are weirder, and nothing feels engineered to death. Instead of compressing every body into the same outline, these pieces feel more personal – sometimes literally, sometimes stylistically. They feel lived-in, relaxed, and refreshingly human.

"Colours are louder, prints are weirder, and nothing feels engineered to death."

But the shift isn’t just aesthetic. There’s a deeper mood change happening. Fitness culture has been wrapped up for years in discipline, optimisation, and self-surveillance. Vintage gymwear pushes back against that sense of seriousness. It reminds people that movement can be messy, expressive, even playful. Throwing on an old sweatshirt or thrifted running shorts can make the gym feel less intimidating.

There’s also a sustainability angle that feels less preachy and more practical. Thrifting is already second nature to most versed in fashion, it makes sense that gym clothes would follow. Rewearing, reworking, and recontextualising athletic clothes feels like a natural extension of how people already dress outside the gym.

"Rewearing, reworking, and recontextualising athletic clothes feels like a natural extension of how people already dress outside the gym."

What’s interesting is how this trend blurs boundaries. Vintage gymwear doesn’t clock as “only for working out.” The same pieces work for errands, coffee, or a lazy afternoon. That fluidity is part of the appeal. Life isn’t neatly compartmentalised, so why should clothes be?

Shop the trend

FWRD FRM Wide Leg Trackpants

P.E. Nation Vertex Jacket

Sabrina Carpenter Please Please Please Ringer Tee

adidas Originals Leopard Satin Shorts

The Upside Harlow Fleece

Beach Boys Tee

S&R Nautical Knitted Turtleneck