Many of the people who responded to my questions were also extremely concerned about “avoiding brands with exploitative working conditions,” which made them choose companies with higher price tags that were upfront about the ethical impacts of their production.

“Fast fashion has given us a skewed perspective on how much it costs to ethically and sustainably manufacture a high-quality, innovative garment, and that’s no different in the activewear industry,” Stephanie Reynders, founder of activewear brand Lagatta tells Stylist.

“Pricing is complex and includes everything from thoughtful fabric enhancements (such as UV-protection and cool-touch effects) to how much the women who are actually constructing the garments are being paid.”

“As an up-and-coming brand, you have to make the choices that reflect your values: sustainable performance fabric, thoughtful designs, months of comfort-testing, innovative features, ethical suppliers, and much more. Then it’s about communicating those values so that consumers can find you, align with you, and make an informed decision. Ultimately, we believe that everyone deserves great activewear, whether it’s Lagatta or not.”

Activewear: how much should you spend on good quality gym clothes?