If you are looking for luxurious, stylish sportswear you should make a beeline for Sweaty Betty – with its 24 boutiques, a mail order catalogue and online shopping.
The first Sweaty Betty store opened its doors back in 1998, when owner Tamara Hill-Norton got fed up of being unable to find feminine sportswear on the high street and decided to do something about it.
Launched with the purpose of inspiring women to find empowerment through fitness, Sweaty Betty has successfully created a whole lifestyle around its stylish boutiques and trendy sportswear.
If your only experience of buying sportswear is in big discount stores or niche, male dominated local shops then Sweaty Betty is a real breath of fresh air. It’s unashamedly feminine and very aspirational.
Throughout the 11 years of Sweaty Betty the shops have contained a mix of Sweaty Betty’s own line of clothing alongside other brands. In recent years though the own brand collection has grown and now that is the key focus for the company.
A broad range of sports and activities are catered for including running, cycling, swimming, yoga and snowsports. All the stock is handily categorized, both in store, online and in the mail order catalogues, into Sweat, Yoga, Beach and Snow.
Sportsister visited the Soho store in London, which has recently been redesigned to celebrate the brand’s 10 year anniversary. It has a great feel to it. It’s trendy and inspiring and thanks to zoned areas for different sports, it’s easy to find what you are looking for. There’s also a trouser bar, to help you find the perfect pair of bottoms and a dedicated sports bra area too.
Sweaty Betty has successfully made their shops feel like a high end boutique, not something you usually find in sportswear. There is a real luxury element to it and for those that are new to the sports world this kind of shopping environment will no doubt feel much more welcoming than some of the more traditional sports stores can.
All the designs are very fashion forward and reflect trends from outside of the sports world. Luxurious fabrics, beautiful colours and flattering fits are the corner stones of these designs.
But be warned…..all of this comes with a price tag.
Whilst in the past the brand found itself adopted primarily by the yummy mummy market I believe it now has a much broader appeal. While the brand is still just as likely to be seen at the school gates as on a 10k run, this is more a reflection of its versatility rather than a lack of performance focused design.
This season Sportsister is particularly impressed with the running and yoga collections. The Thermal Run Pant
(£65) is a top choice for cold mornings, while the Feel Good Hoody (£65) is a real treat item for wearing at home or heading to the gym in.
Other brands stocked include adidas by Stella McCartney, Fitflop, MBT, Shock Absorber and Asics. As well as clothing there is an extensive range of accessories including gym bags, yoga mats, skipping ropes, gym balls and water bottles.
Not just content with kitting you out, Sweaty Betty also runs free clubs from all of its stores. These range from yoga to ballet to running and power walking. They are a particularly good idea for beginners who are looking to start a new sport.
In addition to this twice a year they also run a Get Fit 4 Free campaign. Each boutique hosts a one hour introductory evening session in core strength, ballet, running and boxercise. You can read more about this here.
Factfile
Sweaty Betty has 14 boutiques in London, a further 11 across the rest of England but unfortunately none in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland yet.
Store visited:
21 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RR
Tel: 020 7287 5128
Please click here to see full list of stores
Online: www.sweatybetty.com
Sports catered for: Running, cycling, fitness/gym, yoga and pilates, swimming, tennis and skiing/snowboarding.
Strong on: Fashion led, flattering designs. They have managed to give practical, performance sportswear a lust after factor.
Special features: The free clubs that they run from their stores are a great way to get you started in a new sport. There’s nothing to stop you from having a go!
Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Maagzine
More recommended retailers on Sportsister:
Recommended retailer – Eve Activewear – plus size sportswear
Recommended retailer – Gear for Girls – outdoor focused women’s store
Recommended Retailer – Loose-Fit – surf store
Recommended Retailer – Sheactive – women specific multi sport retailer
