On a day-to-day basis, I’m constantly pulled between two versions of me: the one that loves getting ready every day and wants to dress to the nines and the one that’s working from her one-bedroom apartment and will probably wind up working horizontally at some point in the day. At this point, my weekdays usually look like a compromise between the two, and one piece has turned my world upside down and just about become morphed onto my body in the warmer months: the workout dress.
To get the elephant in the room out, no, I have not actually worked out in my workout dress (besides going on many walks in them). While I definitely think you could, the day that I go for a run in a dress just hasn’t come yet, but crazier things have happened, so I can’t say I never will. What I do love the workout dress for? Just about everything else.
My dream day-to-day outfit consists of something I can throw on mindlessly and just feel great in, and that’s exactly what the workout dress is for me. It’s still a dress, so I feel great going out and running errands and doing whatever my day might throw at me in it, but I also feel like I’m just wearing workout clothes. Cute? Check. Comfortable? Check.
After literally living in the one I had last summer, I added two more to my closet for summer 2022, and you can already call me an outfit repeater because I will be wearing them constantly for the next few months. Here are the three I can’t get enough of and why I love each so much.
Abercrombie Traveler Mini Dress
This was the workout dress that started it all last summer. When I ordered it, I was a little afraid it would end up being super unflattering, but once I tried it on, I didn’t feel that for a second. What’s so great about it is that there’s an entire bodysuit underneath the actual dress fabric, and the dress part isn’t too snug on any part of your body. You feel completely contained underneath, and it doesn’t feel as revealing or form-fitting as you might think it will.
This one also has adjustable straps, and with the compression it naturally provides, I find I don’t need to wear a bra with it (yet another win)—it’s perfect in that it holds me in without feeling tight or constricting (I feel like you can tell why I love it so much). It reads just like a casual dress, and with sneakers or some good ole’ sandals, you can take it out to wherever you need to go on a summer day. It also comes in 11 colors, which means that you can either go neutral or bright and bold, if that’s what you’re feeling. All I know is this: I have zero complaints about this dress.
Sizing: I’m wearing my usual size small, and it fits perfectly
Abercrombie Pleated Traveler Mini Dress
After my success with the aforementioned workout dress last summer, when I saw that they released this pleated version, I knew I needed it immediately. If the classic one feels like a regular dress, this one is its elevated sister. It perfectly captures this summer’s preppy trend and makes me feel like a hot mom who’s squeezing in a brunch with her friends before her private tennis lessons—which happens to be exactly how I want to feel every day of my life.
Since the weather’s been chilly here in Chicago, I’ve worn this one with a cropped sweatshirt over top and it just looks like I’m wearing a trendy tennis skirt (though it also has bike shorts underneath), so it’s a 2-in-1 kind of deal for me. Since the pleats go all the way up to the waist, it is super forgiving in the tummy area and has even more room throughout than the classic version. I can’t explain how confident this dress makes me feel.
Sizing: I’m wearing my usual size small, and it fits perfectly
Girlfriend Collective Racerback Dress
Can we have a little commotion for the color of this dress? I am in my color-loving era, and when I saw this gorgeous pink shade, my jaw dropped to the floor. It’s so bright and happy and perfect for spring and summer, and it was the perfect storm to convincing me I needed to add it as a third workout dress in my collection. It also didn’t hurt that Girlfriend Collective tends to knock it out of the park with every single thing they release.
Of the three dresses, this one is definitely the most compressive. It’s still very comfortable, but it’s definitely meant to hold you in more than the others are, particularly in the bust area. With the halter-neck top, it’s definitely the most supportive, and I feel I would be super set to actually exercise in it. The effect of it is almost as if you’re wearing shapewear underneath; it holds in your tummy area in the same way shapewear would but without feeling hot or uncomfortable. If you’re worried about going braless in the spaghetti strap versions above, this one is for you. With the halter top and back, you definitely don’t need to worry about a bra, no matter what your boob situation is.
Sizing: I’m wearing my usual size small, and it fits perfectly