SELF Editors’ Honest Thoughts on the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress

I tried on the Exercise Dress once, a long time ago, before they made a handful of design updates. Back then, I thought it was cute but impractical—it didn’t feel like it was providing enough coverage or support, and for an activewear piece I feel like an item must provide one of the two—so I didn’t make the purchase. I don’t know if the latest version has an updated material (or if I just don’t recall the old material), but I was surprised at how it felt more like a moisture-wicking windbreaker-type material than a pair of stretchy and soft leggings. That being said…I really liked it! I imagine that [material] feel will come in handy on super hot days.

Some notes on fit: It’s pretty short so, although it has bike shorts (which do stay put), I don’t feel like I’m wearing a lot of clothing when I’m in it. Perhaps I just lean more prudish, but when out and about in New York I’d prefer to wear this with a sweater or an unbuttoned white oxford over it. It also doesn’t provide amazing boob support—in fact, I thought it was a bit loose in the chest, which usually doesn’t happen with my activewear (I’m a 32C). I’m relatively small-chested, so it was fine, though if I bent over there was a gap between my skin and the fabric of the dress where someone could definitely see down.

Overall, I absolutely love the color, and I think this will be a really fun addition to my summer wardrobe. You just need to set expectations before you run an Ironman in it, I think.

I was an early Outdoor Voices stan, and I have the first iteration of the Exercise Dress in two colors. The new Exercise Dress is a solid (and necessary) upgrade from ED 1.0, with adjustable straps, a thicker lining, an extra pocket, and a wider leg grip to keep the shorts lining in place. I found the dress to be comfortable before, but this is certainly better—especially for functional movement. I sized down for a more secure fit, because I have a larger chest and need more compression. One thing I don’t love is that the actual dress has a slightly wider silhouette than it used to; it falls away from the body around the chest area, whereas it used to have a slimmer fit throughout.

I sweat—a lot. My original evergreen-hued Exercise Dress has a thinner lining, and sweat shows up within 20 minutes. I thought getting the Dayflower color would lead to the same result and was hesitant to put this dress to the test, but after a speedy 45-minute walk and no sports bra underneath, I was floored to come home and realize that the sweat didn’t soak through the lining.

For higher-impact activities like tennis or barre, I’ll definitely slide a sports bra underneath the dress for more support for my 34DD chest, but I’m happy to report that I’ll no longer need layers upon layers to wear this for a casual outing to conceal sweat. The fabric is a little scratchy but it moves with you, and the leg grips really stayed secure even when I got sweaty (though time—and more washes—will tell if that grip holds up). I feel like this one is a little more unflattering than the previous iteration because of the wider silhouette, but the color is simply stunning, and overall a solid spring/summer option for light workouts and running errands.

Allison Tsai, Associate Health Director

Source: SELF