Bonobos Is Now Making the Best-Fitting Gym Shorts on the Planet
We spend a lot of time talking about the style of our gym clothes, but not very much about how they fit. And that's because until today, even the most high-end, design-focused athletic gear on the market really only came in sizes small, medium, and large.
Bonobos is changing that with Good Sport, its new line of workout clothes. The five-piece debut collection, which includes short- and long-sleeved T-shirts, a quarter zip, a zip-up hoodie, and a truly revolutionary pair of shorts, adds traditional sizing to your training gear. Guys can choose sizes that correspond to their actual waist circumference, with odd and even sizes ranging from 28 to 36. (There are options for sizes 38 and 40, too.) Customers can also choose a 7-inch or 9-inch inseam, making these far more customizable than anything you'll find on the rack at your local sporting-goods store.
"To get a really precise fit, you can't just do small, medium, and large," the brand's VP of design, Dwight Fenton, said in an interview with GQ. "So by offering your exact waist size that you're used to wearing in pants and shorts, it makes it very easy for you to dial into what's going to fit very well for you specifically, not for guys who are a size up or a size down."
The introductory styles—all made from performance-grade materials—will range in price from $68 to $148 and will come in gray, black, and blue, with one pair of shorts that features a black-and-white pattern. And while more colors and patterns are coming in future collections, the core offering is intentionally built for a broader appeal.
"A lot of the guys we talked to felt like all the athletic lines were based around the lifestyles of these pro athletes and their needs," Fenton said. "It didn't really speak to a guy who's good at sports and focuses more on the love of the game, the love of sports and camaraderie. So we thought the name Good Sport was a wink and a nod toward that direction, rather than the pro-athlete maximum-workout ethic."
And while he's not targeting Steph Curry—or guys like him—the designer is confident Good Sport will work just as hard as other athletic gear.
"If Steph wants to wear it," Fenton said, laughing, "by all means, I'll send him some."
$68—$148, available at bonobos.com
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