Old Navy Secretly Makes The Best Workout Clothes

I got into exercising a few years ago after a lifelong commitment to doing as little as possible (aging out of my 20s played a huge factor). And, as it turns out, I’ve come to really enjoy working out for mind-body satiety. That said, back when I budgeted my lifestyle to join a gym for the first time, I couldn’t really afford many things let alone “nice” activewear. To be honest, I still can’t bring myself to drop $100 on a pair of premium leggings that’s essentially just a crotch-area sweat absorber.) So, like I’ve done many times when I needed affordable clothes, I turned to Old Navy. The retailer just so happens to be a secret treasure trove of compressive leggings and sports bras that are super cute, colorful, and totally delivers on keeping me supported during high-impact classes (I say this as a Zumba gal).

And the offerings from Old Navy Active, despite prices like $8 sports bras and $14 leggings (the sales are no joke), are truly high-quality. I still own and regularly wear my Old Navy workout clothes that I bought over five years ago — that’s how well they’ve held up. (I also do make a huge effort in taking care of my workout clothes by handwashing them with activewear-specific detergents and airdrying.)

Besides, the rest of my wardrobe consists of high-low pieces. Why wouldn’t my activewear collection be the same? Buying $200 matching sets from high-end brands isn’t sustainable for my wallet by any means, so pairing an Old Navy sports bra with, say, my more expensive Girlfriend Collective or Outdoor Voices leggings is the speed I’m happily cruising at. And ever since Old Navy announced its ongoing commitment to inclusive sizing the styles coming from the active line — which ranges from XS to 4XL — couldn’t be more thoughtfully designed.

Keep scrolling for a mere sampling of my current faves from the Old Navy Active line, which can also serve as an overview of the support and compression options (PowerSoft, PowerChill, PowerPress) as well as material (i.e. StretchTech, Breathe ON, CozeCore, Dynamic Fleece). I send my endless love to Old Navy, a brand that keeps me sweating in the best way possible.

Medium Support PowerSoft Cutout Longline Sports Bra, $34.99

The stuff you’ll find in the PowerSoft collection is all the medium-ish compression pieces, best for activities like yoga, barre, and pilates. Cut-out, anyone?

High-Waisted PowerSoft Rib-Paneled 7/8-Length Leggings, $44.99 $35

Look at this gorg rose pink hue and the paneling on the leggings and tell me this doesn’t look like it should be more than $35.

High-Waisted StretchTech Skort, $29.99

Back in the day, Old Navy didn’t carry things like workout skorts and dresses — but the brand has been keeping up with the trends and delivering on super adorable, skirty silhouettes.

High-Waisted StretchTech Cargo Jogger Pants, $39.99 $30

Cargo pockets have landed on Old Navy Active joggers. We repeat: Cargo pockets have landed.

Light Support PowerSoft Longline Sports Bra, $29.99 $14.97

This key lime green longline sports bra with thin straps is reminiscent of the styles you’d find at more expensive activewear brands — but this one’s less than $15.

Sleeveless PowerSoft Performance Racer-Back Mini Swing Dress, $44.99 $40

Someone tell the weather gods to warm up already because this workout dress needs to be out on the tennis courts, stat.

High-Waisted PowerPress Biker Shorts, $19.99 $10

Don’t snooze on the ultra compressive PowerPress collection, which is designed especially to keep you supported through very high-impact activities like HIIT and cardio.

Cozy Belted Wrap Sweater, $34.99

The workout-friendly knits are some of the true MVPs of Old Navy Active. Great for pre- or post-workout layering, these sweaters (like this one with a ballet-inspired wrap tie) are stylish for the studio and the streets.

PowerSoft Performance Bodysuit, $54.99 $45

If you’re a bodysuit person, you’re in luck — Old Navy has many of these onesies in earthy and pastel colors.

Medium Support PowerPress Strappy Sports Bra, $24.99 $8

Here’s another high-support sports bra in a very magnetic magenta.

Extra High-Waisted PowerChill Hidden-Pocket Flare Pants, $20

PowerChill pieces, like these flared leggings, are what you’ll want to wear for your lowest-of-low impact activities. (See also: Laying around the house.)

StretchTech Oversized Quilted Shacket, $64.99

Yes, Old Navy Active is more than just sports bras and leggings! They’ve got trendier, street-ready pieces, too — like this best-selling quilted shacket.

High-Waisted CozeCore Jogger Leggings, $39.99

As the name suggests, the CozeCore line is where you’ll find soft pieces that are lined with a “soft-brushed layer” for those extra cold days when you still wanna get that winter jog in.

Breathe ON Reversible Long-Sleeve Tie-Hem Top, $26.99

Get to know the Breathe ON collection, which is all knits, all the time, still constructed with all the sweat-wicking properties you seek from an activewear line.

Mid-Rise Breathe ON Jogger Pants, $34.99

Come on, now. You didn’t think we’d forget to mention there’s also a classic gray sweatpant in the mix?

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Brandon Maxwell Brings High Fashion To Walmart With Two New Collections

Last spring, it was announced that Brandon Maxwell — designer of glamorous-edgy womenswear saturated in rich gem tones and emblazoned with statement prints — stepped in as creative director of Scoop and Free Assembly, the two in-house fashion lines at Walmart. Nearly a year later, the conglomerate has unveiled the first official drops under Maxwell’s discerning eye — and the styles that have rolled out are unsurprisingly super playful, super colorful, and super affordable.

“Working with Walmart has long been a dream of mine,” Maxwell told Denise Incandela, EVP of Apparel and Private Brands, Walmart U.S. in a press release. “As a kid, growing up in a small town in Texas, Walmart was the destination for everything, including clothing. And, as you know, Denise, we have a shared vision to make beautiful clothing accessible to all,” he said of his passionate dedication. To that end, both the Free Assembly, a large fashion category that includes 500+ styles for the whole family, and the Scoop collections, a smaller edit of trendier pieces for fashion-minded women, offer apparel in sizes XS to 3XL ranging from $8 to $75.

If you’re unsure about which collection is more your vibe, Maxwell advises that “Scoop is more about bold, vibrant colors and high-energy prints. […] When I think about Scoop, I think about play and an easy lightness to the clothes. They are more trend-driven than Free Assembly but still timeless.”

While there’s much to sort through from the two vast collections, we’ve highlighted a few of our top picks below. You’ll find plenty of office-friendly pieces like an oversized blazer in springtime gingham, a mixed-material knitted shirt dress, and a plissé midi dress with a sweet tie-front detail. When it comes to nighttime or weekend wear, you have options like a classic moto jacket, vintage-inspired jeans with an allover floral motif, and stretchy leggings with pintuck detailing and side ankle zips.

“I’ve so enjoyed working closely with Walmart’s design team and partners over the past year to bring this vision to life,” said Maxwell, in the press announcement. “There’s nothing more rewarding than clothing that helps people look and feel their best no matter where they come from, who they are or what their budget may be.” Shop our fave pieces below, or peruse the entire Free Assembly and Scoop collections now.

Free Assembly Slim Double-Breasted Blazer, $45

Here’s a double-breasted blazer that’ll take you from your presentation to a pizza dinner. Just imagine this over a tank and cut-off denim shorts in the summertime. Until then, you can also wear this with work trousers or jeans.

Free Assembly Sleeveless Midi Sweater Dress, $28

The best part about copping a sleeveless sweater dress is the platter of styling options that come with it. Wear it under a cardigan for a cozy look, or size up the dress so you have room to layer a long-sleeve underneath.

Free Assembly Terry Mixed Blouson Dress, $28

This poplin-sweatshirt hybrid is a particular highlight for us — we can picture this casual shift dress styled with simple white kicks or with black Chelsea boots for an effortless dress-up moment.

Free Assembly Sleeveless Fit and Flare Dress, $32

Made from 100% organic cotton, this breezily flared gingham dress seems to be the ideal outfit for a springtime picnic or backyard BBQ.

Free Assembly Original 90’s Straight Leg Jeans, $27

Available in sizes 0 to 14, these vintage-inspired jeans — which are confetti-speckled with a dainty floral motif — are meant to remind you of the stuff you used to wear (but grown-up, of course).

Free Assembly Femme Utility Jumpsuit, $36

This 100% organic cotton denim coverall is exactly what we want to wear whenever we’re having one of those one-and-done days (which is every day, tbh).

Scoop Puff Sleeve Sweater, $26

Why would you ever settle for a regular sweater when this puff-sleeve is here to balloon your arms?

Scoop Faux Leather Moto Jacket, $40

As classic as they come! This moto jacket is one you’ll keep reaching for season after season.

Scoop Smocked Crop Top, $22

The lettuce leaf hems, the elastic waist, the crinkled texture — it’s a tank that will do the most in any outfit situation.

Scoop Asymmetrical Midi Skirt, $26

Don’t be filled by the asymmetric hemline or the fire-engine red of this midi skirt — the soft knit material makes this one of the easiest, comfiest skirts you’ll wear.

Scoop Hidden Zip Leggings, $26

There’s no denying that we’re living in a leggings nation — and this unexpected style with ankle zips and piping down the front is a refreshing take on the stretchy pant.

Scoop Long Sleeve Split Neck Pleated Midi Dress, $38

One of the more luxe styles would have to be this billowy dress with a pleated skirt, relaxed sleeves, and a tie waist. It’s what we call a true day-to-night look.

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The ‘90s Choker Is Getting A Y2K Makeover This Spring

Picture this: It’s prom night in 2005, and you’re getting ready to head to the dance in an aqua strapless dress with a draped, asymmetrical skirt. Your eyeshadow matches the dress, of course, and you look straight in the mirror to add the final touch: an equally bright blue flower choker necklace. If this scene makes you feel nostalgic for your youth — or times you never even lived through — the upcoming spring flower choker trend is here to help. 

Y2K trends are nothing new in the 2020s — from micro mini skirts to claw clips to low-rise jeans — iconic pieces from the beginning of the century are back in the fashion spotlight. But the flower choker holds a unique place in the macrocosm of the early aughts revival. Unlike its ‘90s precursor, the Y2K flower choker had an ultra-feminine edge thanks to its flamboyant floral detail, while still alluding to the punk nature of a choker. It was a piece you could wear to the mall or the homecoming dance just the same. 

Thanks to runway designers, the flower choker is once again gracing the runways and streets — and maybe the school hallways, too. 

Last year, designer Prabal Gurung unveiled a resort 2022 collection that oozed nostalgic mid-aughts prom night vibes, complete with ruched dresses, floral prints, and flower chokers. While some accessories looked pulled from our high school wardrobes with black velvet ribbon and contrasting red and pink roses, others featured new design flourishes more aligned with the 2020s. Take, for example, the black chokers that featured abstract flowers in cable-like material.

Later, Blumarine, which has grown a reputation as a premiere Y2K-revival brand, released a pre-fall 2022 collection that included red, pink, and black chokers, thick necklaces, and big flower attachments. A sequined gold flower choker went even further back in sartorial time, embodying the ‘80s-inspired exuberance that’s being embraced in today’s party trends. 

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With the resurgence of going-out tops and party dresses, it was only a matter of time before the accessories matched the garments. And while flower chokers do possess the same ultra-feminine and quirky energy that made millennials obsess over Limited Too and Claire’s in their youth, today’s version is not made for a teenage drama. Prabal Gurung’s iterations, for example, are clearly meant to be worn at a 21+ party in New York’s Lower East Side (with a Fendi Baguette bag on your shoulder), while Blumarine’s — paired with its micro-minis and pin tops — are made for a certain kind of grown-up who wants to relive their young adulthood, only sexier. 

If the mini skirts and claw clips are not selling you on the Y2K time machine, perhaps a flower choker might do the trick. Ahead, a few options to ease the transformation.

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