I Only Work Out in Pieces From Girlfriend Collective—and They're Throwing a Huge Sale This Week

(Image credit: Girlfriend Collective)

published 27 June 2023

Over the past few years, there has been a greater push for sustainable production—especially in the textile industry, which accounts for about 10 percent of global carbon emissions and 20 percent of water pollution. Responsible fashion means buying items that will last for long time, buying used, buying less, and, when buying new, selecting companies that produce their apparel through sustainable means. One of the most popular eco-friendly brands in the women's fashion sphere is Girlfriend Collective, which crafts its clothing with recycled materials such as fabric scraps, fishing nets, and water bottles. Plus, if you've worn your piece to the ground, you can send it back to the activewear brand to recycle instead of throwing it away—the brand will even gift you $15 in store credit to do so.

Founded in 2021, Girlfriend Collective is celebrating its birthday at the moment (hooray!), and its mode of celebration is even better than a party. Until July 5, you can enjoy 25 percent off everything on the brand's site, along with 50 percent off select coveted styles. This includes the comfortable athleisure that the brand gained notoriety for, as well as dresses, tops, sweatsuits, and outerwear. The site is packed with pieces that are bound to last through years of gym days, but my all-time favorites are below.

Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art

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