3 Signs It Is Time To Upgrade Your Workout Clothes

When it comes to shopping the first place I head is the workout clothes, does anyone else have this problem? I would happily buy leggings all day long, but I am terrible at purchasing jeans. Seriously, I can NEVER figure out the right size. Even though I wear jeans every day to work, it is rare that will you ever find me in a pair of jeans that actually fits.

A few years ago my workout clothes obsession meant weekly trips to Old Navy. Tanks from their athletic line became my favorite running gear and their Go-Dry compressions leggings were top of my list in comfort. A few of the athletic lines at Kohls caught my eye as well with their lower price point.

In the end, I wound up with a lot of workout clothes for very a fairly decent price. Paying $30+ for a pair of leggings was stupid in my mind. To be honest, I thought people who spent a lot of money on workout clothes were a little bit nuts.

Then Baby B was born.

When I started pulling back out my FAVORITE workout clothes after 10 months away from them, I realized it was time for an upgrade.

3 Signs It Is Time To Upgrade Your Workout Clothes

One. Washing Machine Got The Best of It 

Many of the tanks had shrunk over the years. Yes, I was a little bit heavier than I was the last time I wore them, but most of the tank tops had turned into very revealing crop tops. They were very obviously not even close to their original length regardless of what weight I was this time around. The funny thing was I knew as I put them away them up 10 months ago. I convinced myself that it was okay because all I had to do was lose the weight and it wouldn’t matter how much smaller they were.

Except, I needed workout clothes to lose the weight.

Two. They Look Like They Were Well Used

I laughed as I pulled each of the tank tops out of the tub I had packed them in. The tank tops had been used fairly well over the year and a half I had been running in them and it was VERY obvious. Many of the designs had started to peel off and the colors of the tops were nowhere close to their original color. The leggings were definitely not black anymore and they had become even more see through.

Even the newer clothes I had purchased not long before packing everything away looked like it had been used a good 200 times. Unfortunately, the quality easily matched the price.

Three. Holes

Yup, for some odd reason I tried to convince myself when I boxed these up that holes were okay. The leggings had holes in places that weren’t too inconvenient. As long as I was running on the treadmill, it didn’t matter.

Holes happen. I get it, but when at least three pair of fairly new leggings have them… it is definitely time for an upgrade.

Why Should You Upgrade Your Workout Clothes?

A year ago I would’ve never considered a pair of Lululemon crops. I only wore Under Armour and Nike if someone gifted it to me. Yet, those brands very obviously outlasted my cheap workout clothes.

I never considered how often I was buying new leggings because of holes or that I kept buying new tank tops because the old ones would shrink. In my mind, I was getting a good deal by buying them cheap.

It’s funny how your mind changes.

After digging out my old clothes and I got very frustrated that very few of them were even close to decent shape. It occurred to me that I had spent just as much money over the years replacing them. I could’ve bought workout clothes that cost a little bit more that would have survived many more 5ks or rounds through the washing machine.

Now I have switched my brand loyalty and you will very regularly find me in Lululemon, Under Amour or Nike. I’m slowly branching out to new brands and am always looking for something new.

Some of My Favorite Workout Clothes

What are your favorite workout brands?
Do you buy for quality or price?