Fashion Trends: Why 2022 Is the Year of the Sports Bra

Photo by mr lee on Unsplash

The moment I came up with the title of this article, my impostor syndrome waved from a distance and shouted: “Hey yo Mari, I guess you wanted to say fashion predictions instead of trends?”. For a second I almost agreed and thought: “True. Who am I to say what it’s going to happen?” but then I decided to wave back and gently say: “Hey impostor syndrome, can you please go back to where you belong?”

I am a former sports bra tester with years and years of experience and knowledge about the industry and, even more importantly, I work with women all day errrday. I know what they want and need. I listen to them and create for them. So, let’s be bold and claim it.

2022 is the year of the sports bra.
There you go, I said it. 

Style was a must back in the days, but present and future are all about peace of mind (although, who said you can’t have one and the other?). Women seek comfort nowadays. And rightly so.  

Enter: the sports bra. 

The sports bra doesn’t judge you. 
The sports bra fits well and cares about you.

Impressive poem, I know. All this to say that flexibility and freedom are keywords here. As women, we want and deserve to be free in whatever we do and make, movement included. 

Take this freaking pandemic, for example. Not only do we work from home more often (hence the need of wearing something more ‘relaxed’ during the day), but we also realised how important self-care is (and yes, that includes movement too – and for that we need a loyal companion). If there’s a silver lining in every cloud, I think we could all agree upon one undeniable truth: the pandemic has freed women from restrictive garments. Can I get a hell yeah?

Photo by David Samaniego on Unsplash

Take denim, for instance. Sales of jeans are continuously declining. Think of all the leggings and yoga pants you invested in – even iconic brands like Levi’s and Gap are now experimenting to make jeans as comfy as possible.

We used to think it was not appropriate to wear sports clothes in professional environments. Women thought they had to wear heels to look professional, whereas now we tend to accept that any kind of shoe is the right one if it makes us feel ourselves, sneakers included. 

Or, what would you put on on a Sunday morning? My guess is that you would go braless or choose a sports bra even if you’re not working out. And this is because it’s conforming to your unique body shape and, most importantly, it’s thought to be supportive in the most literal sense of the word. 

That’s why the sports bra is becoming a wardrobe staple. 

Other reasons I can think of? Sports bras:

( . )( . ) Get along with our current lifestyles, which are becoming more multi-faceted
( . )( . ) Are way more versatile than regular bras (plus, they’re waaaay easier to clean) 
( . )( . ) Make us feel heard as women #comfortovereverything
( . )( . ) Have designs that are meant to be seen (think of our Empower Sports Bra for example)

It’s not a surprise that ath-leisure is a (big) thing right now. Never heard of it? 

Ath-leisure is clothing made for workouts that you can also wear outside the gym. At the office, for example, or for a walk down the street. In summer, more and more women decide to wear sports bras as top tanks. And how can we blame them? 

Athlete apparel companies, both big names and start-ups, sell ath-leisure nowadays. And even lingerie companies have started to add a few items to their online and offline shops because they realised that stylish activewear is here to stay. 

And no, it’s not only millennials who are into it. Sure, my generation is the one who spends the most of their bra budgets on sports bras, but Gen Z is paying attention too: their oversized clothes suggest they put comfort first – and, to them, comfort rhymes with style. 

Plus, celebrities are leading the way, even on the red carpet! Look at Serena Williams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bella Hadid and Rihanna glowing in their sports bras. 

Photos by Getty Images


Photo by Just Jared

How can you style them for daily wear in 2022? 

• Wear a blouse on top of your sports bra; either tie a ribbon or leave the blouse open and have your sports bra peek through
• Pair it with a blazer for a casual chic look (all eyes on you)
• Let the sports bra stand out: wear a colourful one and pair it with a black or white cardigan or waistcoat
• High-waisted pants and sports bras? A match made in heaven
• Jumpsuits and sports bras belong together too: wear them for a trendy look

Want more ideas? Check this video by Frany’s Look and replicate the look with a sports bra from our MAAREE collection. 

Gone are the times when we thought we had to suffer to look good. 

Our priority now? To feel good – because that’s when we feel good that we look good too. Plus, wearing a sports bra with confidence screams ‘I got my sh** together’. And confidence is sexy, isn’t it?

I don’t know what your 2022 horoscope says but I’m sure all zodiac signs will have at least one sports bra in their wardrobe – to me it’s clear: the undergarment revolution is already underway.