Exoticatheltica

If you’re on Facebook occasionally, you will have seen the marketing for this shooting star brand! With a bunch of loyal followers, many of you are among them; they are serving up a range of plus-size activewear and other lounge-inspired pieces based on their bold prints and expansive selection of colours, styles and fits. Having never worn their items myself, they captured my interest with their try-on videos and short stories. But I’m excited to include them because you love them, and even looking at their website excites me. I loved what they said on their about page, so I’d share it here.

For so long, women have been programmed to think that being strong and powerful is masculine, that being sexy and sensual is too provocative, and that being emotional is a weakness. And even today, these residual beliefs still influence women worldwide and steer them off course from where they need to be. Somewhere along our journey, we seem to get lost. We seem to lose our natural born instincts and end up trying to live up to someone else’s title for us, whether this is wife, mother, grandmother or daughter, and we seem to forget to stop and think about what we are to ourselves. Shop the Exoticatheltica range online here.

Active Truth

A plus-size activewear brand started right here in sunny Brisbane, Queensland! They started their brand with a few prints and items and have grown season after season to be where they are now, as one of the most recommended brands when I asked the team. You can’t argue with real-world experience and recommendations. Nadia & Stevie started Active Truth because they believe women deserve better from the activewear market. They were tired of buying tights online that turned out to be see-through or rolled down during a workout. They believe all women deserve stylish activewear that fits, flatters and supports. And are committed to using diverse women in images — that they never, ever photoshop. They want women to look to Active Truth and see someone like her – happy, active, and looking and feeling amazing in her activewear. Shop the Active Truth range online here.

Hine Collection

A new find for me, thanks to the team on Facebook. And boy, am I glad they pointed me in this direction! I can’t wait to order some swimwear range (not what we’re talking about, but still) and their t-shirt dresses! But aside, this is legitimate activewear built for people here to get it done; I love that.

HINE had a humble beginning in 2018 when the founder Mīria started her own Hauora/health journey. She wanted to find friendly activewear that could give her the confidence to rock the gym, feel good, and look good. But got frustrated when she saw that activewear brands only went up to size 14. I thought that was harsh and unfair for women like her. Furthermore, she was concerned about the industry’s message about body size and the measurements they would need to wear the clothes they loved. Want more? Check the Hine Collection out online now (their Instagram is also worth following).

Taking Shape

My first love when it came to workout clothing. I wore their leggings or shirts ALL the time. My sister had the tank tops; we love them. I look forward to adding the crop to my collection, a tank or two, and the cotton tee’s {which I wear for casual clothes and gym wear}. The enjoyable part is that they release some new colours and styles every season. Fun, fun! If you’re a size 12-24, there will be something to suit your workout style. Seriously. This is my workout brand. Full stop. I highly recommend it. Shop the range online here. 

Baseline

Baseline is the creation of fitness influencer Ashy Bines. This range crossed my radar when my cousin, a long-term follower of Bines, bought some items from the field. I assumed they didn’t offer plus sizes, given my impressions of the fit-girl focus of the brand. But I was wrong; they offer up to a 4XL in some items, with items more frequently available up to a 3XL. I recently tried that 3XL, and as an AU24, most were too small. I loved the range, though, and I live in the Baseline tee pictured. Check the size chart, which would be my hot tip, and learn from me and my assumptions. You know the old saying about being an ass. Haha. Shop Baseline online now.

City Chic

Australian brand City Chic is a one-stop shop for plus0-size fashion and tends to show up on these lists time after time. And for a good reason. They offer plenty of on-trend, quality plus-size activewear pieces that can be tried in-store (sometimes). In addition, their CCX range can be an excellent example of delivering what is missing for the customer. I hadn’t looked into their range for activewear in a while and was pleasantly surprised to find a good range and sizing (offered to an AU22, mostly, some extended AU24 sizing). Worth a look; shop the City Chic CCX Collection online here.

Rainbeau Curves

Another brand that has many raving fans on Facebook is Rainbeau Curves. They tell me that the leggings are easy to wear, look great, and the service from their US base is excellent! Founded and based in San Francisco, Rainbeau is a family-owned business that has embraced the California active lifestyle for over 30 years. When spandex was introduced in the 1980s, Rainbeau was one of the pioneers who realised its clothing potential. The stretch and comfort of spandex supported freedom of movement during all active endeavours. Today, Rainbeau continues to be a respected and innovative manufacturer of activewear and dance apparel for women and girls across the US and the world. Rainbeau Curves is committed to creating fashionable clothing that keeps up with a woman’s active lifestyle and flatters a fuller figure. Shop the range online now on their website.

Kmart, Target, ASOS and Big W

Now, let’s talk about the classics, the old favourites, and the reliable providers of plus-size activewear out there. Some of the brands that came up repeatedly were the Michelle Bridges line at Big W, the house brands for Kmart and Target with their cheap and cheerful basics or brands like Nike Woman and Reebok available online at ASOS. Who also have a tremendous in-house range at a more affordable price point. Whether you’re shopping online or, in some cases, buying in-store, we all swear by the basics that their stores offer, especially if you’re on a budget or find that your body is changing rapidly.

Curve Boss Australia

Launched in June 2019, Curve Boss Australia is an activewear range that offers a size range from AU sizes 16 to 30. You read that right, and I’m delighted to see a range provide such diversity in their sizing and styles. So if you need items like jackets, leggings or comfortable, casual t-shirts, they offer them. I plan to feature them in an upcoming post about crop tops (soft bras). So get over there and shop the Curve Boss Australia range online now.

Universal Standard

If you’re looking for a brand that caters to an extensive range of sizes (US 00 to 40), this would be where I would suggest you start. Not always an affordable option for us Aussies, but from the pieces I own, a quality choice that will serve you for many years to come. Their range is more focused on an athleisure vibe, offering items that you don’t tend to find elsewhere, such as one-piece yoga jumpsuits and the current trendy stirrup leggings. If you want your exercise gear to double as streetwear, they’re well worth a look. Shop the ACTIVE range at Universal Standard here.