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You’re not imagining it: women everywhere are wearing dresses while exercising. The functional activewear piece has become ubiquitous over the past couple of years, and I’d surmise nearly every woman in your life either owns one or wants one.
The workout dress is an ostensibly simple design: an A-line dress (similar to the popular slip dress) made from a stretchy, lightweight spandex/nylon fabric that often includes built-in biker shorts. The style is lauded for its comfort and versatility (you can work out, go to the farmer’s market and, in some cases, even to dinner in it.) Not to mention, everyone looks good in the silhouette.
The current craze can be traced back to 2018 when Outdoor Voices released its now-famous and often-copied Exercise Dress. Now, brands like Alo, Girlfriend Collective and Abercrombie & Fitch are selling their own versions with great success. The style’s dominance in athleisure is also a likely product of the past year and a half’s WFH era, which has us sporting low-key loungewear 24/7.
I’m telling you all of this because, as a woman who owns a few exercise dresses herself, the stretchy skort dress is one of my favorite styles to wear, period. Whether I’m actually sweating in it or just need something quick to throw on to grab coffee, my workout dresses are reliable, practical and stylish. And it’s why I believe the exercise dress is one of the best and most thoughtful, gifts you can give to the woman in your life. So below is a list of hand-picked workout dresses from a range of brands, all boasting fun colors, sleek looks and unmatched comfort.

Alo Airbrush Real Dress
Constructed from Alo’s supportive, sculpting fabric, this V-neck racerback dress is a supportive, flattering number.
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