The Sporty Gal's Gift Guide
Let's shop women-founded brands!
It feels like women might need some love right now. I had this sporty gal’s gift guide, which features only women-founded brands, drafted and was going to share it later, but the events of last week necessitated a pick-me-up with a purpose. Not that consumption with fix our deep-seated societal issues, but supporting other women feels like the least we could do right now, especially if we’re going to be spending for the holidays anyway.
Why does this matter? This quote from this outstanding Emily Sundberg interview with lab-grown diamond brand Dorsey founder Meg Strachan stood out to me.
“As women we read about how hard it is to fundraise, but it feels very different to actually experience it. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t raise any money.”
In 2024, all-women startup teams received 1.9% of the total VC allocated in the year. As you can imagine, the funding raised by women of color is even lower. I was staggered to read this stat: only 93 Black women founders have ever raised over $1 million.
Shopping women-owned brands is just a small way to drive change, but not an insignificant one. Here’s to sporty gals supporting other sporty gals.
Clothing & Footwear
Running
Pruzan - Pruzan is a new-to-me running apparel brand with a fashion-forward tone, founded by Alexis Copithorne and Jessie Hyman. I love running in an oversized tee, and this Supersoft Marathon Shirt hits the perfect slouchy chic vibes I prefer.
Oiselle – The original by women for women running brand. Twelve or so years ago I had a pair of cotton joggers from them that I wore to death. These track pants feel like ones you could run in or dress up in the Adidas track pants + knit sweater look that all the cool girls have been wearing away.
Literary Sport – People are really into this brand, which brings an erudite spin to sportswear. I’m not 100% sold, but gifting from LS is an easy way to please your most fashionable running friend. Nothing says you’re cool like Japanese loop back terry.
Saysh – Allyson Felix’s brand does a lot right. Oprah likes their new Evelyn Runner. But I like the looks of the Felix Runner better.
Clare V. – I am obsessed with my Le Jogging T from the Tracksmith x Clare V collab but it’s sold out. Their Vive La Resistance T is the same cut and fabric and the message is timely. I have this in sweatshirt form and it is very pleasing to me as a WWII history nerd.
Tarot Card T – I shared this before but I love my Super Shoes Tarot tee designed by Sam Murphy. Also, I should make it clear: I love running cotton tee shirts and think you should too.
Rabbit – Emily Oster recommended this Strappy Pocket Bra. I am curious how they get away with calling it a ”Pocket Bra.” Don’t ask me how I know but there’s a lady who will sue you if use the name Pocket Bra – it’s a registered trademark.
Running Wylder – This is for all my NorCal fans. I’ve really loved watching Katherine Douglas chronicle the opening of her very chic and fashion-forward running store on Castro Street in San Francisco. You can follow along online via her Substack or IG. I’ve been struck by the unique mix of brands (some of whom were new to me) Katherine has curated at her “running lifestyle store.” (A noteworthy description.) I wanted to link to the store’s cute merch but it’s not online yet. Bay Area people, go shop there and report back!
Ski & Hike
Hikerkind – I loved chatting with Hikerkind co-founder Chelsea Rizzo. I also love gifting Merino – it feels premium and is also very very useful. Their new Merino Turtleneck or Polo tee fit the bill.
Halfdays – Halfdays was founded by a former Olympic freestyle skier who wanted to take down the boy’s club in skiwear. I love their Davis Jacket but think the Piper Fleece makes more sense for gifting. No one gets mad when they get a good fleece.
Jorde – I’m eying this Poppy Ski Coat from this Stowe, VT-based brand founded by Jordan Watts.
Seniq – Seniq’s founders are bringing fashion to the slopes and trail. Q&A coming soon! This Crossbody Bag feels like a great gift for your outdoorsy friend.
Kari Traa – Like Halfdays, Kari Traa is founded by a former freestyle skier, except this one is from Norway. She brings a Scandi-flair to her designs, which is why I love this Merino Rose Baselayer, especially in bright pink.
Yardsale – I love that this brand is innovating on ski poles – their magnetic, colorful poles are designed for recreational skiers.
Skida – All the cool ski girlies I know wear Skida, a Vermont-based headwear brand launched by Corinne Prevot in 2008 for her teammates at Burke Mountain Academy. I love their headbands and would totally gift their fleece mittens.
Athleisure
Togethxr – This could have gone up in the running section cause I wear my Everyone Watches Women’s Sports Tee all the time on the run, but anyway. Togethxr was started by Sue Bird, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Alex Morgan. Legends!
Joja – Joja was founded by model Jasmine Tooks and makes very sleek activewear. I like the curved detail on this crop top tee. Gift it to someone with a Skims addiction.
Wear One’s At – I’m spoiling a future interview but Erika Veurink recommended this activewear brand for its super cute rompers. I am into this one for anyone feeling the #balletcore moment. P.S. Who knows a ballerina I could interview?
Left on Friday – LoF is known for their premium active swimwear but their apparel is pretty rad too. I’d gift (myself) this whole outfit, starting with the Field Day jogger in pepper. I also am into the cut of the Homerun Sweatpant.
Tennis
Full Court Sport – This Love All Long Sleeve is very much up my alley.
Exeat – This British tennis brand touts its gear as sustainable. Having just listened to a whole podcast series on the French Revolution, the choice to name this tennis dress “Versailles” is very funny to me, but it’s also very cute.
Beauty
Wyn Beauty – Serena Williams’s sports beauty line. Need I say more? Gift your favorite tennis fan their intro bundle.
Doc & Glo – Sloane Stephens launched this bodycare brand and named it after her grandparents. I’d gift their essentials duo.
Merit – Merit is putting out the best content right now. I haven’t tried their new perfume but I am OBSESSED with how they rolled it out and would gift it to my favorite marketer for that reason alone.
Accessories
Forestbound – I gift from Forestbound, a maker of bags based out of Amesbury, MA (and a runner!) all the time. I like to customize her totes for a more original take on the LL Bean boat tote.
Cesta Collective – This is not even activewear adjacent but these bags are endorsed by Duchess Meghan (Markle) and even sporty gals need to get dressed up.
Beis – Shay Mitchell is really good at making (and marketing) bags. I’d gift this Sport Cross Body to my most fashionable hiking friend.
Reading
Racquet Club Magazine Subscription – Caitlin Thompson did me a solid by being my first-ever interview. Gift your tennis maniac a subscription to her mag.
Up to Speed – Christine Yu explores the dirth and importance of scientific studies aimed at female athletes in Up To Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes. Gift to your teen and college athletes!
Better, Faster, Farther – Maggie Mertens traces the history of women’s running.
Running While Black - Alison Mariella Desir examines why and how running became a white-washed industry and makes a case for changes needed in the sport.
Experiences
I love the idea of gifting something that’s experiential. Here are some ideas for you!
Sports Photography: Sure you could buy a shitty Marathon Foto from your recent race, or you could work with a talented sports photographer to shoot a workout or long run instead. If you’re in New England, I’m recommending Molly Malone, who is very talented at capturing movement in all its forms.
Coaching: A running coach can be transformational. I loved working with mine (Marquis Bowden) in the lead-up to Boston and CIM and recommend investing in a coach for anyone looking to deepen their connection with the sport. Here are three women I’d recommend:
Mireille Sine - Mireille is a ray of sunshine with experience on the roads, trails, and ultras.
Lift Run Perform: Mary Johnson and team are experts at combining strength training with running, which is so often missing from training plans. Who doesn’t want to get strong AND fast?
Hiruni Wijayaratne: Hiruni is a force of nature. Catch her leading group workouts in Miami or make her your coach for your next goal race.
Notes from the BAA Half
I ran the B.A.A Half Marathon this Sunday and had my head on a swivel for trends. Here’s what I spotted.
It was just below 40 when the race started, so I observed a real variety of layering strategies – from women in basically sports bras and shorts to others in full jackets and tights. I went for the Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer under my Togethxr T (told you I like running in it – the oversized fit is A+.) I wore the New Balance RC 3” Shorts, which I really like – they compare favorably with my favorite Tracksmith Strata Shorts and have a boxy cut I appreciate and solid liner. I wore Tracksmith Speed Crew Socks, mismatched Inverno Gloves, and my trusty Yale Crew hat. Shoes were the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 – I saw a lot of these on the course, which speaks favorably to the brand’s upswing, as covered by Highsnobiety below. (More on what I wear to run, here.)
This shouldn’t be surprising, given the race is on their turf, but I saw a lot of Tracksmith. By far and away the most worn item was the Brighton Base Layer, which I wore too. This makes sense. Honestly, if you were only going to buy one Tracksmith item - this is it. It makes a great gift too, because it’s awesome for layering even if you don’t run. My doctor friends swear by it under their scrubs.
I did spot a decent amount of Bandit and it was almost exclusively on men in their 20s. The streetwear-ification of running is real!
I saw several women with sparkly makeup on their faces, reminiscent of the sparkle freckles Taylor Swift wore. This isn’t something I’ve noticed before at races and honestly feels a little dangerous when mixed with sweat.
I also spotted a lot of young women running together in matching outfits, down to their hairstyles – including one duo in matching Lululemon white crop tops and blue short tights. A lot has been written about run clubs as dating pools but perhaps the bigger (and largely unnoticed) trend is the run club as catalyst for female friendship.
A non-fashion observation but I think social media has ruined sign-making. I saw a million variations of “You run better than …. (our country, the MBTA, our democracy), “The rats don’t run this city, you do!” and “Pain is Temporary, Strava is Forever.” All of which I saw a ton online from the NYC Marathon. FWIW, the best sign I have seen from NYC was “All this just so he’d like your Instagram story?” It speaks deeply to my behavior from ages 23-33. Whoops.
Quick Quick Thoughts
Things that Drew my Eye or Ire…
The PWHL debuted new uniforms. For my money, the Canadians made out the best. I like how sharp the Toronto Sceptres’ (below, far left) logo is. The Victoire de Montreal win for their sophisticated, almost Art Deco design (second from right), which is rich in meaning: “Win or lose, ‘Victoire’ is a mindset, celebrating the city’s pursuit of achievement. The logo features wing-like shapes in the team’s signature deep burgundy color, subtly alluding to the Goddess of Victory and symbolizing strength and agility. A hidden ‘M’ within the wings pays homage to Greater Montréal. Additionally, a fleur-de-lis, a national symbol of Québec, is gracefully integrated and evokes the rich cultural history of the province and the city. “
Is Saucony going to pull an Asics/Puma and become relevant again? For what it’s worth, as noted above, I spotted a lot of Saucony on the BAA Half course.
I wrote a piece for On on tennis style, featuring some of their up-and-coming athletes.
Satisfy x Hoka. Between this and the blue Minted x Saucony sneaker, fully flooded single color shoes are very in, no? Personally, if I were going to buy a trail shoe, I’d go for Norda.
Welcome to all my new followers, who apparently enjoyed my mildly salty takes on running fashion last week. It was invigorating to know it resonated!
As a housekeeping note, I should state that I do (attempt to) use affiliate links where possible. This means I might make a tiny commission should you choose to purchase via that link. This newsletter is a labor of love and I selected the gifting items above based on my own appreciation and not the associated commission. Thanks!
https://rytmesport.com
Sharing two more brands I missed for this!
https://hettas.com/