Say goodbye to minimalist gym outfits. The rise of vintage activewear has paved the way to joyful self-expression at the squat rack. 

Perhaps you’ve noticed a shift in your Instagram feed, at your local gym, or in your local park. Women are on a jog, lifting heavy in the gym, or rolling up to the reformer in a look from the late Nineties to the early Aughts. Think swishy wind pants, graphic tees, and strappy, cropped tanks —envisage the girl band TLC doing a deadlift. Other moodboard muses include Venus and Serena Williams in bejeweled tennis dresses, Madonna (the runners’ choice) in ASICS track suits, and Sarah Jessica Parker (the current Princess of the Pilates devotees) in cotton separates.

For years, women’s sportswear has been predicated on the concept of minimalism. As form-fitting spandex fabrics were touted as the solution for ease of movement, workout looks emphasized streamlined, monochrome uniformity. But women are craving more expressive looks, and the rise of vintage coincides with a reclaiming of personal identity in the gym. “Women shouldn’t have to leave their taste level at the door when they work out,” says Danimás founder Dany Garcia, a former professional athlete. “We deserve better than simply wearing leggings and a sports bra.”

Grace Clarke, Head of Community at Shopify, is one such woman who is leaning into her style in the gym. “I mostly weight train with slow compound movements, so I don’t really need performance fabric.” The 39-year-old New Yorker is a long-time proponent of wearing older, oversized workout pieces. “I love nothing more than being balled up in fleece sweatpants on the leg press listening to a podcast. Style-wise, I’m not a matching set gal.”

The look is unstudied and irreverent. It reflects a shift in how women want to feel when they work out. It’s also a reaction to our increasingly over-optimized world. Exhausted by the proliferation of sleek, anonymous gym looks and the hardened image of high-tech pieces, some women are opting for nostalgic, lived-in styles that evoke low-fi eras past.

“This shift indicates a return to embracing the body's natural form and movement—prioritizing the joy derived from sport rather than a never-ending quest for optimization,“ says trend strategist and author of the WhatsAnu newsletter, Anu Lingala. Trouser legs are wider and worn slouchy; ribbed cotton tank tops are worn atop sports bras. It’s an energetic shift from the Spanx-like silhouettes, and women, having discovered their strength, are taking up more space.

The rise of vintage workout gear relates to how women are adding items to their wardrobe now: they want to wear them both in and out of the gym. Why? You can style out your vintage Ellesse track pants with a pair of loafers or a strappy stiletto, but it’s hard to make leggings look like an intentional outfit decision. Dual-purpose workout gear makes financial and sartorial sense.

The global second-hand apparel market is projected to reach $367 billion by 2029, according to ThredUp. Moreover, concerns about forever chemicals in synthetic activewear mean more women are seeking alternatives. Vintage styles, especially those made from cotton or natural fibers, offer a responsible and breathable alternative.

Isabella O’Day, a freelance designer from Los Angeles, arguably helped pioneer the trend. In May 2024, she hunted for new yoga attire to wear at a retreat in France. Browsing the racks at Alo and Lululemon left her frustrated with monochrome matching sets. “Everything felt like I was putting on a uniform,” she says. Inspired by memories of her mom’s colorful workout wardrobe, she logged onto eBay, curating a selection of gear from the Nineties and early Aughts that better matched her personal style.

At the retreat, women exclaimed over O’Day’s looks—so different from their own modern pieces!—and they asked for help sourcing their own Nineties and Aughties styles. Thus, Rummage Stretch was born as a vintage activewear market. First held at pop-ups in LA and New York, she then took the business online. Interest boomed when former Vogue editor Liana Satenstein, creator of the best-selling Substack newsletter Neverworns, featured Rummage Stretch in her July 2025 story, titled “Vintage Sportswear Will Crush Your Yoga Sets.” Soon, The New York Times and other publications were tapping O’Day for her archival acumen.

Her customers range from college students who ship archival sports tanks to Barnard dorms, as well as Midwest Millennial moms who tend to snap up loose-fitting capri pants. According to O’Day, they love the sense of joy and ease that comes with wearing these vintage styles—an emotion many women today chase in their workouts. “People are ready for this evolution of workout culture that’s less serious,” she says. 

One of O’Day’s favorite pieces is a white and pink rhinestone tennis dress worn by Serena Williams. “It’s so sexy and cool,” she says. “Serena Williams could do everything on the court in these really elaborate looks.” It’s a timely reminder that performative gear can still have a personality.

In San Francisco, Katie Douglas, owner of the women’s boutique Running Wylder, wears old cotton T-shirts with a track club motif most days of the week. Her go-to look for running miles around the city is a vintage tee and technical shorts. Douglas is an entrepreneur, athlete, and mother to a toddler. For her, a vintage tee appeals for its comfort, expression, and—most of all—its ease.

“Vintage tees are by far the most versatile run piece you can own—they literally work for anything,” says Douglas, of the T-shirts, which feature playful graphics, fonts, and illustrations that are far removed from today’s blander, nylon styles. “I have a tendency to wear one all day at the store, sleep in it, and then wear it for my run in the morning.” Douglas also has a curated selection of tees in-store for sale; she says customers often snap up archive race tees from their birth year or hometown. As garments, they offer emotional resonance in a way that modern sportswear does not.

To channel this spirit, consider Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of the Nineties girl group TLC. Known for her strenuous workouts, she ran, lifted heavy weights, and aspired to have abs “better than Usher’s,” all while wearing baggy sweats and a sports bra. It was a powerful look for a powerful woman. Whatever you’re wearing to the gym—old and mis-matched or sleek and new—that’s a feeling worth chasing.