Where lycra once reigned supreme, knitted performance pieces have taken over yoga studios and gym floors with increasing force. From merino wool styles to pieces spun from recycled fabrics, it’s a hard task to turn your head in a reformer Pilates class without spotting a matching woven set.
And it makes sense. Breathable fibres that move with the body can enhance your workout. Not to mention the temperature-regulating, moisture-wicking and odour-resistant properties of wool.
Blurring the lines between fashion and function, Nagnata’s collections are carried by its RWS merino wool blend pieces. The Byron Bay-based brand’s signature ribbed styles, which arrive in a rainbow of hues, are equally suited to sweating it out on the mat as they are cosying up on winter mornings.
There’s a reason that hiking and outdoor brands like Kathmandu and Zorali have long touted the benefits of wool. Melbourne textile brand Paire is also a strong believer in the fibre’s sustainable and sweat-proof abilities.
But there are a number of brands innovating with other planet-friendly textiles to move your activewear collection forward. Pinky & Kamal’s latest drop of recycled seamless pieces are crafted from a recycled nylon-blend fabric, made from pre-consumer waste. “We have made it a non-negotiable to use organic or recycled products wherever we can,” Pinky & Kamal’s founder Natalie Carusi says. “Our recycled seamless collection is made from excess materials that are discarded during the making of a product before it has been sent to market”.
The brand’s fine ribbed tank tops and matching biker shorts are crafted with a circular knitting machine, which also reduces the waste associated with regular cut and sew styles. The Active No. 04 collection sees these pieces arrive in seasonal hues like melon and dark brown. The brand also pledges to plant two trees for every online order as part of its commitment to the planet.
Nimble might be best known for its sleek, functional pieces made from plastic bottles, but the Sydney brand has recently dropped a collection of knitwear made with Ciclo fibres that is perfect for those lazier days.
The label’s new logo styles and Me Time sets are spun from organic cotton and Ciclo-enhanced recycled fibres, which are designed to eventually biodegrade like natural fibres. The technology involves an additive being combined with polyester and nylon at the beginning of the fibre-making process, creating biodegradable spots in the matrix of the plastic. Then, when textiles made with Ciclo-enhanced fibres end up in environments where biodegradation can occur naturally, microbes can mineralise them at rates comparable to natural fibres, such as wool. This ultimately means less microplastic circulating in our oceans and the environment.
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