A guide to women's sportswear: what to choose and why

A guide to women's sportswear does not start with the colour chart. It starts with how you move. A piece that has to hold up through squats in the morning and lunch in town three hours later makes demands on fit, fabric and cut that no colour can solve for you.

We build our pieces for the female body in motion. This text gathers what we are asked about most: what to look for, what separates the models and how to make a smaller wardrobe go further.

Where do you start?

Start with use. Strength training asks for something different than long walks, travel or a day in town. That does not mean you need a wardrobe for every activity. Well chosen basics cover several situations when the fit is right.

Ask yourself what needs to feel steady in motion. At the gym, a high waist, shape-holding fabric and seams that stay put decide it. On a walk, comfort over hours, pockets and a clean silhouette weigh more. Travelling, you want pieces that hold their shape in the bag and can be worn several days running. The whole range sits together in all training wear for women if you want the overview first.

What do the tights need to handle?

Tights are the piece that works hardest. They should follow the body through squats and lunges without sliding down, digging in or letting light through when the fabric stretches.

The waist decides a lot. A high, shaped waist stays where it is when you sit down and when you stand up again. Slimline Sculpting Träningstights are sewn in 73 percent recycled ECO Circle polyester and 27 percent elastane, with seams that lift and shape. Goldline Black Sculpting Tights have the same blend and the same sculpting construction in a cleaner, all black surface. Both are squat proof.

If you need room for your phone, Edge Mesh Träningstights Med Fickor has pockets on both legs and mesh panels at the sides for ventilation, in ECO Circle fabric of almost entirely recycled polyester. If you would rather have seamless against the skin, Seamless Ribbed Happy Latte Tights are ribbed and seamless with a V-shaped cut at the back. They run small, so take a size up.

Length is its own choice. Slimline Capri Sculpting Tights end mid calf and work when it is warm. Full length feels more protective once autumn arrives. More models sit in training tights with a high waist.

How do you know the jacket fits?

A training jacket should close without pulling across chest and shoulders, and hold its shape when it is open. The zip, the collar, the sleeve length and where the seams sit make the whole difference.

Edge Svart Träningsjacka has faux leather details and a close cut in recycled ECO Circle polyester, with a zip in black or gold metallic. Slimline Träningsjacka is shaped from shoulder to hip, with black side panels and a hidden inner pocket for keys and cards. Both work over a set at the gym and with straight trousers on the way back. More models sit in training jackets for women.

Which fabric should you choose?

A training fabric needs stretch, but above all recovery. If the fabric does not come back after wear, the fit changes at knees, waist and seat, and the piece never feels quite the same again.

A firmer fabric gives more support and a clearer silhouette. A softer fabric suits travel, days at home and calmer movement. One does not replace the other. The choice is about how much you want to feel the piece while you wear it.

Always read the garment's own material text before you assume anything. Edge Half Zip Träningströja is sewn in ECO Circle fabric of almost entirely recycled polyester. Edge Gold Button Set is something else: a blend of polyester, modal and elastane, chosen for drape and softness rather than moisture transport, and it wants a 30 degree wash and no tumble dryer. We go through the differences in the guide to training fabrics.

How do you test the fit at home?

Size is not the whole answer. Two models in the same size can feel different depending on compression, seams and cut. Try the piece in motion. Stand up, sit down, drop into a squat and reach your arms overhead.

The tights should sit steadily over waist and seat without pressing against your breathing. In a squat the coverage should hold and the seams should stay still. The jacket should close without straining, and still hold a clear line when it stands open. We go into it further in the guide to fit on training tights and in high waist or mid waist.

How many pieces do you need?

Fewer than you think, if each one is chosen with care. One pair of tights in a neutral tone, a jacket with a clear fit and a set that carries a whole outfit will take you far. Add a softer layer for travel and days at home, something from Lounge and Studio.

Colour decides how far the pieces reach. Black, dark grey, navy and muted neutrals are easy to combine and let seams and panels show. If you choose a set in a stronger tone it earns its place when the rest of the wardrobe stays quiet. The order to build in is in how to build a training wardrobe.

How do you wash so the shape stays?

Wash by the care label, inside out and with similar materials. Skip fabric softener on pieces made for stretch and moisture transport, since it settles in the fibres and takes away part of the function. Let the pieces air dry rather than tumbling them warm.

With two or three pairs of tights in rotation, each pair rests between sessions. The elasticity lasts longer and the fit feels the same every time you pull them on.

Sportswear that fits eventually stops feeling like training clothes. It becomes just clothes. That is when it is also what you reach for first, morning after morning.

Anything but ordinary.