I finally took the leap and tried Girlfriend Collective last year and, if you follow me on Instagram you know, I’ve been hooked ever since. People have been hyping up their leggings for years but, to be quite honest, I kind of dismissed them as another Lululemon. Not to mention, they always seemed to be out of stock (this is still kind of true tbh)!
I have always appreciate and been impressed by the size range that the brand carries (up to a 6X) — which you almost never see from mainstream brands, especially in active and loungewear. So when they dropped coordinating sweatsuits, in the middle of the pandemic, I finally took the plunge and gave them a try. I haven’t looked back since!
I know this brand has a higher price point than some are used to paying for lounge and activewear, but I’ve really been impressed by most of the things I’ve tried.
Today, I’m rounding up my Girlfriend Collective staple pieces, including some notes of their sizing that I’ve found helpful as I’ve shopped.
The Sweat Pants/Joggers
At their core, these are just sweatpants but the quality and comfort levels are honestly unmatched. They’re so soft, perfectly high waisted and handle wear and tear well. I haven’t seen any fraying or pilling even after multiple washes and wears. I will say that if you’re taller, I’d opt for the joggers from their For Everyone collection. All of my tall friends have had issue with the length of these but for a shortie like me, they’re perfect!
The Belt Bags
Finding a belt bag that fits a plus size body is no easy feat. This belt bag was seriously designed with all bodies in mind. I wear my at least 6 days a week and it’s the perfect “grab the essentials and go” bag. I can also confirm that I’ve managed to fit a Kindle and a normal sized paperback book (separately of course) comfortably along with my wallet, keys, extra mask, lipgloss and phone. I own two of these, one in fawn and one in black and they’re some of my best purchases. It even fit over my insanely puffy winter coat!
The Cropped Sweatshirts
Just like the joggers, the sweatshirts from GF are super cozy, soft and easy to move in. If you’re looking for a top to complete your look, I honestly recommend getting the cropped crew over the standard. The standard hoodies and crew necks are such an awkward length, and make me which they either just made it regular length or committed to all crops. If I feel that on my short body (I’m 5’0’’ even) then I know someone with a taller frame would be frustrated by the length.
The FLOAT Cleo Bra
This is the pretty much the only bra I wear now and the only bra I want to wear. Per usual, Girlfriend kills it with the super soft and comfortable material. I don’t even feel like I’m wearing a bra when I have this on. I definitely consider it more of an everyday bralette than a workout bra but I’ve also worn it when going on walks or doing lighter/stretch workouts with no issues. I wear a size 4X in this style (and most of the GF bras). Like most bra wearers, I haven’t been measured in years but believe I’m around a. 42DDD.
FLOAT High Rise Bike Shorts
These are probably my favorite bike shorts and I essentially live in them. They’re incredibly soft, incredibly comfortable and never see through the way some shorts in this material tend to be. I probably own 3 or 4 of these shorts by now and they’re a wardrobe staple (as I transition from sweatsuits to shorts and tees LOL).
I know there have been questions about the sizing throughout for the brand, understandably so. Like most clothing designed for women’s bodies, sizing is always all over the place and differs based on the fit you like! My general rule of thumb with GF collective is to go up a least one size in everything. In all of the biker shorts and joggers I have from them I wear a 3X and I wear a 4X in all of their bras. I typically wear a 2x in bottoms and a 2x or 3x in sports bras. In the sweatshirts, both cropped and standard, I wear a 3x and while I could probably size down, 3x gives the most flexible, comfortable fit.
Let me know if you give the brand a try or have other questions in the comments!