Would you Exercise in Vintage Activewear? According to Gen Z, Y2K Sportswear Is the Only Thing You Should Wear

An oversized coffee cup, rolled-up yoga mat and sunglasses big enough to swallow the majority of your face might sound like the latest edition of the typical Pilates uniform. However, spend enough time in a workout class or on social media with those born in the 21st century, and you’ll soon come to realise that the biggest athleisure movement isn’t about matching sets, trending leggings, covetable emotional support water bottles or even a chic pair of ankle weights.

Instead, the latest trend is to emulate Madonna’s gym outfits during her Confessions on a Dance Floor era, when she would run across London in three-stripe tracksuits and three-quarter length Ed Hardy shirts. Indeed, 2000s activewear is trending again in 2026.

For those who don’t remember living through the noughties, the increase of strappy tank tops, slouchy low-rise flares, square-toe flip-flops and skin-tight spandex rendered in high-octane colours that are suddenly taking over your gym classes and social media feeds might seem like a novel trend on the rise. Yet, for those on the front lines when these styles were initially popular, you’ll realise just how rose-tinted the glasses that Gen Z must be wearing to revive Y2K sportswear.

After all, this was a time before taking HIIT classes in dark rooms illuminated by fluorescent lights, cycling the French countryside from the comfort of your living room on your at-home Peloton or even knowing who Tracey Anderson was, let alone committing to her method. But on an aesthetic level, there’s something quite cool about the way people would dress to exercise during this decade.