You Need This: I Don't Really Exercise, But I Love Outdoor Voices' Exercise Dress
I’d never felt more seen—or rather, personally targeted—than the moment in Saturday Night Live’s “Pro-Chiller Leggings” skit when Kate McKinnon looks straight into the camera (and into my soul) and says of her leggings: “Women can do anything they want—and I want to do nothing.” Leggings are my clothes of choice for a streaming marathon, and pretty much never for actual physical activity; same goes for my sports bras and tank tops. (Just ask the 170 Instagram users who correctly guessed that my first workout selfie of 2018 would also be my last.)
Despite my track record of stockpiling activewear for non-fitness, I was intrigued by the concept of Outdoor Voices’ Exercise Dress, which debuted in May. It promised to withstand intense workouts while still looking super-cute, as evidenced by all the influencer #OOTDs timed to its launch.
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I was draw to the Instagram-friendly design and its comfortable appearance—the Exercise Dress looked like a put-together alternative to the workout gear I was already wearing every weekend. Never mind that I had no intention of rollerblading, speed-walking, or dancercising in it: That baby-pink dress was cute as hell.
Even with my unathletic routine, the Exercise Dress made for an incredible addition to my routine. On lazy Saturdays when leaving the apartment just wasn’t in the cards, I’d slip it on, resume my current binge-watch, and give myself a gold star for changing out of my pajamas; when I eventually ventured out, I’d layer it over a white T-shirt to run errands and feel slightly less messy than I did in my leggings and college T-shirts. It made me feel like I put together an Outfit, rather than just any other athleisure-adjacent clothes. Plus, every time I wore the Exercise Dress, I got compliments on it.
I knew I couldn’t own a self-described Exercise Dress without doing some sort of exercise in it, though. So, during a recent trip to California, I scheduled some (light) hiking, to be able to test the style in the way it’s meant to be worn. And let me tell you: It more than lived up to its online hype.
No matter how I moved, I never felt limited by wearing the Exercise Dress. The sweat-wicking fabric rivals a sturdy tank top without the heavy material—it was lightweight and stretchy, breathable without sagging. My favorite feature, as I could only discover through actually working out in it, is the covert leotard liner inside the dress: Climbing a trail and running around outside, it held the dress in place without causing a Marilyn Monroe moment at the first sign of a breeze. Unless your cardio routine involves Rockette-high kicks, you can work out in a dress.
Some people say that good activewear can convince them to work out more. I’m all about the Sporty Spice vibes I get from wearing my exercise dress at home—but I won’t be donning it for real sports anytime soon.
Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress, $98, Outdoor Voices
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