Gabi Fresh: 'I Want More Activewear Options Than Black Leggings And A Grey T-Shirt'
When I first launched my swimwear line six years ago, there were hardly any swimsuit options for plus-size women. The entire line ended up selling out in a single day, and the website even crashed. I got so many messages from women saying, “I didn’t realize I could wear a bikini until I saw you wearing one,” or “I never felt comfortable on the beach until you made swimwear that made me feel good in my body.” It was like these women needed permission to feel confident in themselves.
But to be honest, as comfortable as I am in my body now, I often feel the same way when I'm going to the gym. Even though I work out twice a week with a trainer, I still get intimidated going to gyms and workout classes in Los Angeles—so I want to at least have an outfit that looks good.
But the industry has been slow to realize that plus-size women want the same trendy options as everyone else. As a plus-size woman, your typical activewear options are going to be black leggings and a grey shirt.
I think this is because there's still a lot of micro-aggression toward plus-size women in the world. Certain assumptions are made at the grocery store and the gym. There are myths that plus-size women don't work out, or are lazy. People assume we wouldn't want to put effort into what we're wearing because we just want to lose weight.
Don't get me wrong: I could be healthier, and I'm working on that, but that's also nobody's business but my own. It shouldn't determine how people treat me, or whether I'm allowed to shop for certain things.
There are some brands that are doing it right. I love Girlfriend Collecting and Beyond Yoga—they both have super high-quality, soft, comfortable, and cute clothes. Nike also recently really revamped their plus-size offerings, and they're actually putting plus-size bodies in campaigns.
Sports bras are really hard for me—I'm an H-cup so it's impossible to shop in stores. Enell sports bras are a classic and they're one of my favorites. They're functional—but not super-cute, although they have recently started doing more fun colors.
One thing I would love to see more of is extended size ranges. I'm often wearing the biggest size offered at mainstream stores, and even that is sometimes tight. To me, that's not okay. I shouldn't be the largest size, and brands need to go beyond offering just 1x or 2x sizing.
I'd love to design a plus-size activewear line someday, because women shouldn't feel like they need permission to look cute and stylish at the gym.
As told to Amanda Woerner.
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