Ethical Activewear from Asquith

(See if you can say my post title 5 times fast!)

I usually work out 5 times a week, so I spend a lot of time in gym gear.  I’m extremely picky about the fabrics of my gym kit, especially the leggings; I consider myself a leggings connoisseur after so many years of due diligence. Pet peeve number one, leggings that go sheer on the backside or thighs when you bend over for squats or stretching (I don’t need to see what’s under your leggings, and you don’t need to see under mine!).  Pet peeve number two, legging fabric that shows sweat in places you’d rather it not show (Enough said).  Pet peeve number three, fabrics that stretch out and don’t retain their shape (Unforgivable. Have you ever had to repeatedly hoik up the waistline of your trousers so they don’t slide down with every jumping jack?  I have.). Pet peeve number four, fabrics that trap sweat and don’t breathe (It’s like wearing plastic wrap).

Organic activewear company Asquith contacted me to try some of their pieces, so of course I chose their leggings immediately. Reading through the fabric description, I knew they had to be good (60% bamboo, 30% organic cotton, 10% elastane).  Asquith’s legging fabric is specifically created to be durable (no pilling, no fading) and opaque (no sheer arse syndrome). The fabric is so good, Asquith has patented it. I couldn’t wait to try them, even though I’d ordered bamboo leggings recently from another brand and sent them straight back, underwhelmed.  I’ve now test driven these Asquith Flow With It leggings properly.  They’ve been on the school run, to several gym classes, for a run with the dog in Richmond Park, sitting for hours working cross-legged on my computer (certain to stretch out the knees if the fabric isn’t good), and through the wash many times. I can heartily give them the Sequinist stamp of approval.  They even beat my (more expensive) Lululemon Wunder Under leggings.  The Lululemon leggings are thicker, spongier fabric; the Asquith ones are thinner, but more dense, if that makes sense.

I also chose Asquith’s Oversized Cloud Nine Hoody.  I have recently (FINALLY!) located a pair of silver sneakers I’ve been after for over a year (men’s Nike Air Max 97 OG Silver Bullet, if you’re nasty), and I knew the pale grey hoody would work well with them.   An oversize hoody is something I can wear to do the morning school run, then go straight to gym, and not be horrified to wear out and about if I have urgent errands to run afterwards (and by errands I mean coffee).  The longer hem in the back makes sure my backside is covered, and the soft thick organic cotton feels delicious to wear.  It has been so cold here lately I layer up under the hoody and don’t want to take it off!

Underneath the hoody I’ve layered the Cobalt Go To vest.  I’ll spare you my list of pet peeves for tank tops, but this one is fantastic.  It is 95% bamboo and 5% elastane, so it is great to sweat on and keeps its shape.  It also doesn’t show your bra straps from any angle (sorry, one of my tank top pet peeves slipped in).   The slightly longer length keeps you covered when you’re stretching or doing yoga.

For lounging at home or wearing directly after a gym class, I have the Blissful Wrap in Charcoal. It is the same soft, dense, bamboo fabric as the vest, and I particularly love the neckline (which I didn’t arrange very well in the photo below, sorry).

I always like to discover and support small businesses run by women, but especially when they have Alice Asquith’s ethos.  Asquith is exactly the kind of business I like to promote on this blog– every item of clothing is responsibly manufactured in a family-run factory, their organic cotton has a low carbon footprint, and their bamboo is a luxuriously soft and sustainable fabric fibre.  You can read more about Asquith’s fabrics here.  Although the brand (and Alice herself) is mostly focused on bamboo yoga clothes, the products certainly work well for a weight-lifting cardio-lover like me.  Because I love the tactile fabrics so much, I’d like them to consider making sleepwear in the near future as well!

One last point that I particularly appreciate is the lack obvious logo or branding on any of Asquith’s clothing.  I can’t stand that most athletic brands cover you in their logos.  I could never do the Tour de France for that very reason; wearing all of those sponsor brands plastered all over me would kill me before I ever reached the finish line.  Also, I loathe cycling :-).  The seven reflective dots on the bamboo yoga leggings pictured below are the discreet logo.

Thank you to Asquith for sponsoring this post, and for the fantastic gym gear.  The world would be a better place if more brands had their values.

P.S.  I know some of you will ask, yes they do ship internationally.

P.P.S. If you want to try any of their things, sign up to their mailing list and you’ll get a 15% discount on your first order.

P.P.S. I broke the card reader in my main camera this week (don’t ask) so it is in for a four week repair, it is my son’s busy last week of school, and we’re flying to New York on Thursday.  I’m not sure when my next blog post will be, especially since the weather forecast in New York is not conducive to blog photos, but I’ll see you back in your Inbox as soon as I can!  xx

linking to: notdeadyetstyle, notdressedaslamb

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