Nowadays, it's hard to walk down the street without spotting at least a few people wearing leggings or yoga pants. They're practically a wardrobe staple, and chances are that if you're anything like us here at Women's Health, you have at least a few pairs of each along with some cute two-piece athleisure sets. As both a yoga teacher and someone who has tried at least a hundred activewear brands over the years, I liken myself to a sort of yoga pant savant (sapant?).
By far the comfiest activewear I've ever worn, Wolven's sustainably-made leggings and flared yoga pants are buttery soft and so lightweight that they're basically the next best thing to being naked. They also feature fun, brightly-hued colors and prints inspired by the founder, Kiran Jade's, Pakistani-Indian heritage. And because so much of the Western health and wellness industry is fueled by centuries-old practices derived from Asia, it's important to support Asian-owned brands like Wolven that pay homage to those roots.
"I founded Wolven to bring the Eastern aesthetic of my heritage to Western activewear," she says. "I spent my summers traveling to Pakistan, and fell in love with Eastern patterns and textiles. I would spend the weekends going to textile markets with my family and sewing my own clothes. I love the way unique clothing and prints can help express your values and individuality."
Here's how Wolven makes the best yoga pants I've ever tried.
They're the most comfortable pants I've ever worn.
As I said before, I wasn't exaggerating when I said I've tried a *lot* of activewear brands over the years. My fellow millennials reading this will remember a time when leggings and other workout clothes actually weren't considered trendy or fashionable—they were just what you wore to work out in. Athleisure simply wasn't in our vocabulary 15 years ago when I first started doing yoga.
While there are definitely tons more options out there now than there were then, and I've found some brands that I do love, nothing compares to the comfort I feel when I do yoga (or just lounge) in Wolven's ultra stretchy, feather-light yoga pants. Sure, when I'm running, biking, or doing pilates, I want some compression and support. But, when I'm on my yoga mat, couch, or WFH desk, I want something that'll fully move with me—not make me feel restricted, especially when I'm trying to contort my body into crow pose or get the most out of my downward dog. Wolven's yoga pants move so easily with me that they're basically my yoga essential next to my mat.
And, even though each pair of Wolven's leggings and pants are made out of 27(!) recycled plastic water bottles, they're soft to the touch, too. Designed with a breathable faux suede finish, they almost feel like peach fuzz—I often catch myself subconsciously petting the fabric while I'm wearing them (I can't be the only one who does that, right?).
Wolven is super eco-friendly.
Kiran very frequently talks about the harmful effects of fast fashion. That's why Wolven makes their clothing out of recycled fabrics and plastic bottles. And, while she admits there's no fully eco-friendly way to do packaging, Wolven uses bags and boxes that are either 100 percent recycled or bio-degradable.
Plus, she acknowledges the reality that not all parts of owning a business can be fully sustainable, which is why each year, the brand measures their greenhouse gas emissions and purchases carbon credits to offset that footprint. Kiran says they're also constantly implementing plans to further reduce their emissions—a process which has gained Wolven the highly sought-after Carbon Neutral certification.
The founder is one I love to support.
"As a female, Asian-owned brand, there are a lot of little things that, when added up, create what feels like a larger challenge," says Kiran. For example, some of the things she mentions are that people often pronounce her name incorrectly, assume she's younger than she is, and feel like she should be dressed a certain way to be taken seriously.
"My co-founder and partner is a white man, and I’ve been in a number of meetings where people assume he’s the person who has authority and power in conversations," she says. "Balancing wanting him to be able to stand in his power while also demanding respect can be challenging."
Even then, Kiran says it's her passion for challenging the status quo of "boring, generic clothing and the harmful impacts of the fast fashion industry" that keeps her going. And, she's doing just that—you really won't find another activewear brand that makes the unique prints that Wolven does. It's no surprise that the team (whom she lovingly calls her Wolfpack) is comprised of artists, activists, and yogis who all care deeply about art, design, and building an environmentally-friendly brand that pays homage to Kiran's heritage as a South Asian woman.
Neha Tandon is the senior commerce editor of Women's Health—she's an expert in discovering the best products and services you can buy and giving recommendations. She discovered her love for magazines when as a teen, she started stealing her mother's magazines. Determined to see more women who look like her and her family members on the glossy covers of magazines, she was guided by seasoned editors and mentors to write for brands including New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, BRIDES, Harper's Bazaar, Business Insider, Byrdie, and Well+Good. When she’s not grilling dermatologists about the latest skincare trends, she’s doing candlelit yoga or watching Humphrey Bogart movies over vegan pizza. Follow her on Instagram.
