Exercise dress quick picks
For outdoor activities: Columbia PFG Freezer III Dress
For running: Nike Bliss Dri-Fit Training Dress
For hiking: Cotopaxi Muevo Dress
For sweat resistance: Old Navy PowerSoft Half-Zip Athletic Dress
The lines between fashion and fitness are slowly blurring, and with that, we’ve been blessed with the advent of exercise dresses that allow us to look chic on and off the court. With a variety of silhouettes and fabrics to suit your needs, there’s no shortage of exercise dresses that’ll add tons of convenience and style to your wardrobe.
With the likes of tennis and golf attire taking center stage as the aesthetic of choice, there’s never been a better time to get your hands on a multifunctional exercise dress — even if you have no plans of ever picking up a club or a racket.
What to look for in an exercise dress
As a certified personal trainer, I’ve led my fair share of sessions in a flowy number with pockets, thanks to their flattering fits and functionality. I’ve also been known to hit personal records in a Beyond Yoga Spacedye Essence dress with the most compressive built-in shorts. But what should you specifically be looking for in the perfect exercise dress for your purposes?
“I look for breathable fabric, hidden cups and pockets, and a cute pattern that hides sweat,” says Lyndsey Zorich, style expert and founder of Mason’s Daughter. For Katherine Watercutter, CEO and founder of Gold Hinge, an exercise dress should come in fabrics that support mobility and maintain their shape throughout many washes while offering tons of convenience.
“You really want a dress that allows for breathability and has performance fabric that keeps you cool during workouts,” Watercutter says. “Dresses that include built-in cups and hidden shorts eliminate the need for undergarments, which is always a must for us when designing an active dress.” She adds that a drop-in pocket will become a godsend for storing everything from a phone to keys to tennis balls.
Jesus Simosa, CEO and founder of CiaoGym, says you should prioritize a shorter skirt length for maximum mobility, four- or eight-way stretch, abrasion-resistant material and a compressive waistband for a flattering fit that’ll keep you feeling tucked in with each rep.
Benefits of wearing an exercise dress
Summer clothing tends to veer on casual, but exercise dresses kick your look up a notch. “[They’re] perfect for keeping cool yet looking chic during the hot summer months,” Zorich says. She adds that they make for a solid transitional wardrobe piece, allowing you to go from a workout to errands with ease. Particularly, they’re great for busy parents or folks with little time to spare for an outfit change. We also need to talk about modesty: Whereas skin-tight compression biker shorts with tiny inseams leave little to the imagination, the dress element adds some family-friendly coverage.
Despite a closet full of clothes, many of us struggle with the issue of having nothing to wear. This trend solves that problem, according to Simosa. “An exercise dress provides an all-in-one opportunity to dress comfortably and in fashion, in and out of the gym,” he says.
Best exercise dresses for outdoor activities
“I am a huge fan of all the exercise dresses from Byrdie Golf Social,” Zorich says. “They’re super flattering, lightweight and chic enough to wear from your workout to lunch with friends.” She recommends this option, which comes with an on-trend drop waist to channel all the ’90s vibes while looking preppy and modern, thanks to an extended golf collar and a cooling sun-protective fabric.
This editor-approved performance dress won’t just make you look cool but feel cool too. Its sweat-wicking Omni-Freeze elastane fabric with UPF 50 sun protection makes it ideal for throwing on for everything from fly-fishing to a competitive game of volleyball. It falls a little longer than the typical exercise dress, which is perfect for those looking for extra coverage and room to add your own shorts. It comes in every color under the sun (and at this price, you’ll want to grab a handful).
This workout dress is flattering and comfortable for any outdoor activity, as it’s breathable and moves with your body, says Sandra Gail Frayna, founder of?Hudson Premier Physical Therapy & Sports. “It can be worn on hikes, running to the grocery store, etc. and still be comfortable and cute,” she says.
Channel your inner athlete in Athleta’s most performance-driven dress, featuring side-stash pockets for your tennis balls and smaller essentials. It’s made of a lightweight fabric that feels barely there against your skin while absorbing sweat on contact. Better yet, it’s incredibly stretchy and made with UPF 40-rated fabric, making it an ideal wardrobe choice for both indoor and outdoor workouts.?
Featuring a sweat-wicking, anti-odor and UPF 50 fabric, this stunning exercise dress allows you to beat the heat in style, whether you’re getting in a power walk or playing doubles. It’s got built-in pocketed shorts and a quick-dry material that’ll keep sweat stains at bay.
Whether you’re walking around town or playing tennis, this super-soft dress with built-in shorts and hidden pockets is a smart investment, says Nikki Gnozzio, a personal trainer and the founder of?The Junction Bodyworks. Comfortable and easy to wear, it’s a good pick for people who choose walking as their exercise. However, it might not be well-suited for, say, a boot camp full of burpees. “Because it’s a single strap, I wouldn’t recommend any overly strenuous cardio activities in this, as one side may roll down a bit,” Gnozzio says. “But for low-impact outdoor activities, this is a great choice.”
Best exercise dresses for running
When running, you really want to focus on higher necklines, especially for the bustier set. This stunning number features supportive cross straps, a built-in bra and plenty of ventilation. Built-in drop-in pocketed shorts help you stash your keys and cards, and hit the pavement free of a running belt.
Stephanie Butterfield-Richardson, the founder of?Activate House, says this bestseller from Nike is her hands-down favorite exercise dress to run in. As she explains, when she’s running, she wants to feel comfortable and have confidence that nothing is going to spill out. In addition to the sweat-wicking material, her favorite feature is the built-in shorts with pockets. “I'm able to carry a car key or slip my phone into the pockets if needed,” she says. “Plus, it has a bodysuit feel and hugs your body, yet feels breathable and flexible.”
Ready, set … wear the Set Dress on your next run. Thanks to its unique open-back silhouette, you’ll get plenty of ventilation as you hit the pavement and lots of convenience from its side-stash pockets. A pleated skirt tops off the look, making it preppy enough for the court at the country club and practical enough for the treadmill.
Your run is only as successful as your level of support, so don’t miss the ultimate OG viral exercise dress to get you to the finish line. This Underscored-approved dress has adjustable straps to keep you contained, a shorts liner with pockets for your stuff and even a couple of unique busy patterns to mask any potential sweat stains.
With its double straps to solidify your support, its deep pockets to keep your belongings close by, its built-in cups for high-intensity runs and a stunning flared silhouette that’ll make you want to take your run to the streets, this versatile exercise dress just doesn’t miss.?
A high neckline coupled with built-in shorts and built-in cups mean only one thing: You’re about to run, not walk, toward your dream running dress. It’s also got more coverage at the armhole for an overall feeling of support and adjustable straps for fewer distractions on the track.
Best exercise dresses for hiking
Your old ratty hiking ’fit can officially take a hike. This pretty and practical colorblock dress was built for the rough and tumble of the trails with its durable water-repellent fabric, built-in sun protection and shelf bra for support. It’s also got side drop-in pockets for quick access to your phone or trail mix. While it doesn’t come with shorts, it’s designed to fit seamlessly on top of your own.
This iconic exercise dress checks off every box no matter your hiking itinerary: It’s got pocket-lined shorts, an open-back waistband for easy bathroom breaks when nature calls, a medium-support shelf bra to keep the girls secure, and a body-skimming fit and sweetheart neckline that take it from the trails to dinner reservations in a flash. Plus, the color offerings from Peach Bellini to Espresso are simply unmatched.
Leave it to iconic hiking brand Patagonia to make one of the most solid hiking dresses on the market. It features a light and flowy silhouette to support your range of motion, it comes with deep side pockets embedded within compressive liner shorts and it’s made with a performance-driven nylon-and-spandex blend that’ll keep you cool and comfortable with every step.?
Hiking can quickly devolve into a full-day activity that extends into the evening when temperatures tend to dip. This Underscored-recommended long-sleeve exercise dress is your solution to chilly shoulders while offering tons of benefits from built-in shorts to a zipper for customizable coverage and breathability.
Thanks to the generous pockets throughout this heavy-duty hiking dress, you’ll be able to take weight off your pack or go hands-free as you summit peaks. Thick adjustable straps help you customize your fit, a water-repellent fabric keeps you dry in inclement weather and an integrated shelf bra and shorts liner make it an ideal one-and-done outfit choice.
Best exercise dresses for sweat resistance
Made of one of Lululemon’s most cooling and sleek fabrics, this featherlight Nulux dress won’t only absorb sweat but it’ll limit the amount of it you produce to begin with. Because it’s linerless (and thus doesn’t come with shorts), it features the bare-minimum fabric you need to stay covered without feeling weighed down. A front zipper for added ventilation and easier on and off sweeten the deal.
You can’t beat the price of this ultra-cooling exercise dress made of a lightweight sweat-wicking fabric that’ll keep you dry whether you’re hours into a game of doubles or miles down the track. Its half-zip closure and pleated sides add a touch of sophistication.
Dripping sweat is no match for this Sweaty Betty workout dress. It’s made of a quick-drying matte-black fabric that’ll keep you cool throughout the most grueling of workouts and has a keyhole back for extra ventilation where you need it most. Slip pockets, a flattering and functional racerback and a built-in bra make it a practical athleisure investment.?
Between its “barely there” sweat-wicking fabric and its dainty adjustable straps that don’t take up any more real estate on your overheated body than they need to, this skimpy sports-friendly number will be a total blessing when you’re trying to thermoregulate. It’s also equipped with all the essentials: pocketed shorts, built-in cups and a reflective detail ideal for low-light settings.
If you’re looking to stay cool as a cucumber, mesh dresses with undergarments peeking out from underneath are conveniently the look of the summer. This take on an exercise dress allows you to reveal your sports bra and biker shorts underneath for a fitness ‘fit you’ll want to wear on repeat. Bonus: You can repurpose it as a bathing suit cover-up to keep it on rotation all summer.
