I am trying to find good, comfortable, and practial activewear. however why is the majority of what i find is cutesy loungewear in that velour like crap?! i know it may be hard for designers to realise that some of us really want basic workout clothes, not just something that says "look at me, im running errands, lets call it excersize...just for the sake of argument cause this is all the moving i plan on doing."
how did some of you find something to work out in other than tees and old fashioned sweats?

Do you have a dicks or a sports authority near you?? If so I find some great non Cutesy stuff in there and I can usually get some really great coupons in the paper!
Sometimes though even with the coups I cant get a great deal but I believe most sporty type brands like Nike or adidas and under armour have clearance on their websites. I also find good things at Marshalls and TJmaxx if you are near one of those!

Target has some usable t's and sleeveless shirts in that moisture wicking material that breathes so well. I wait until it goes on clearance. You are finding velour because of your location and time of year. Yes, much of it is for fashion. I'm not as concerned with how it looks, mine is for sweat.

I'm with CollegeGirl-- I get most of my workout clothes from TJMaxx and Marshall's. It tends to be much cheaper but they still sell a lot of the name brand stuff.

im not so sure about the season part...i can find workout clothes in smaller sizes, but not in the size 20 i need...including looking atsports stores. i found a little, but just a little. usually stores start getting excersize stuff for the new years resolution folks, but nicht.

Have you tried some second hand/consignment stores? I know I found a lot of tops/yoga pants/and other things in such places. I'd say half of my workout clothes are second hand. If you look hard enough, you can find them in excellent (or brand new) condition.

I also recommend TJ Maxx and Marshall's. And further:

Do not forget eBay. Once you know your size in a pricey line, this is a great resource, like a thrift or consignment shop that you can visit without leaving your home.

Try Lands End, which had some larger sizes in workout clothes. I remember doing well at their year-end clearance (which should be going on about now).

For larger size padded bike shorts, I went to a small specialized company online called AeroTech Designs. They also make "baggy" bike shorts & they make the shorts without pads, so you can wear them as compression shorts. Their stuff was not cheap, but it was worth it for the quality. (In fact, I passed on the shorts to a larger friend of mine when they got too big for me & she is still getting excellent wear from them.)

I've also had luck online at Champion/Just my Size. They have some clearance items that are well priced.

Check Lands End as well (believe it or not, it sells active wear). Great, basic stuff at reasonable prices.

Cheers,

J

This is going to sound a little naff, but my favorite workout/running/yoga pants have been Old Navy.

I mean, their XXL is fine on me and I'm a size 20-22 on the bottom.

They've also lasted a good long while and I've got major thighs going on.

Lane Bryant used to have good exercise tops, but has slacked in recent years, UNTIL the other day I saw some that looked like their old ones (I'm broke so I didn't tease myself by trying them on). I'm afraid I go with the good ol fashioned t-shirt and shorts (I found some cotton bermuda shorts at Macy's). If I'm cold I wear leggings under the shorts. Sports stores don't carry anything remotely near my size. Apparently fat people don't/shouldn't exercise in their opinion. A long-time pet peeve of mine. I can't wait to fit into Nike's definition of a XXL (they claim it fits a size 22 but the measurements equal like a 14/16 in Lane Bryant sizes)!

I like the danskin line at wal-mart they have to a size 2x/20 and it is very comfortable during my workouts. I absolutely hate the velour stuff as well, so i understand completely where you are coming from.

Exactly what I was going to suggest. Danskin has been great for me, love the capri pants and full length ones for working out and I find them to be really durable.

question- before I make the epic trip to walmart (not one nearby), has anyone taller had success with danskin? (I have a LOT of problems finding pants at the right length. regulars are always short and talls are miles too long)

thats a good point too...i'm 5'8.5" and have a 33" inseam. i'd like something long enough and would keep my butt from jiggling too much