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Vintage Activewear Is Trending for Fall 2026, and These Brands Are Doing It Best

From color-blocked track jackets to foldover pants, these are the styles (and labels) that will help you nail the look.

By Stacia Datskovska Plus Icon

Stacia Datskovska

Senior Commerce Writer for WWD

Recent Articles by Stacia Datskovska

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August 27, 2026, 1:50pm

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best vintage activewear to buy online retro athleisure trend 2026; madonna on September 19, 1990 goes for a jog around New York City; track jacket and color-blocked bra over neon background

Courtesy Manufacturers, Canva, Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images

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From Tate McRae’s latest Adidas campaign to the annual resurgence of Princess Diana’s quintessential biker-shorts-and-baggy-pullover equations come fall, there’s a lot to be said about the current fascination with vintage activewear — as labels both emerging and established turn to the archives for their new athleisure releases, while tastemakers like Bella Hadid channel their inner “Madonna taking a city jog in the ’80s and ’90s” when traveling to pilates class or the coffee shop.

Just a few years ago, behemoths like Skims, Alo, and Lululemon told us that the best way a woman could dress to the gym involved skin-tight silhouettes, subdued color palettes, and targeted technology meant to lift, squeeze, and train: long before she actually got on that StairMaster. This fall, though, it seems that the tide has officially turned to all things retro, with the rise of vibrant, confident colorways, oversized layers, foldover waistlines, and track references that don’t require a record-breaking mile time to endorse.

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Best Vintage-Inspired Activewear to Shop This Year

best track jacket

Nike Sportswear Women’s Oversized Track Jacket

Buy Now at nike $100 Jump to Details

best color-blocked bra

FP Movement Never Better Colorblock Mini Bra

Buy Now at free people $68 Jump to Details

best track pants

Halara High-Waisted InstantCool Pants UPF40+

Buy Now at halara $54.95 Jump to Details

best track shorts

Gap 2.5″ Track Shorts

Buy Now at gap $29 Jump to Details

another option

Brooks Movement 3″ Dolphin Short

Buy Now at brooks running $55.25 Jump to Details

best socks

FP Movement Super Scrunch Socks

Buy Now at free people $18 Jump to Details

best foldover pants

Edikted Women’s Dayna Low-Rise Foldover Straight-Leg Pants

Buy Now at macy’s $64 Jump to Details

best tank top

Nike Sportswear Women’s Tight Cropped Tank Top

Buy Now at nike $50 Jump to Details

View more +

The vintage activewear trend is pulling inspiration from a few different eras at once. We’re seeing Y2K styles reigning supreme (think Kirsten Dunst’s character in “Bring It On” or Blake Lively’s in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”) but also those from said ’90s: all loose-fitting tracksuits, pops of neon, color-blocked sports bras, and pants with stripes down the sides.

Madonna, Princess Diana, and even Britney Spears can all be jumping-off points of sorts for your vintage activewear search. Courtesy Ron Galella, Anwar Hussein, Larry Busacca/Getty Images

This notable visual transition in the universe of clothes for working out — or looking like you work out — is a positive the way we view it, allowing activewear to work in contexts beyond the athletic while encouraging wearers to have a little more fun and show off their personality in the day-to-day.

No matter if the People’s Princess or the “Buns of Steel” workout video is on your sartorial vision board for 2026, these top vintage-style activewear pieces from trending brands like Nike, FP Movement, and Halara are guaranteed to set you up for success: from the errand run to the treadmill walk.

best track jacket

Nike Sportswear Women’s Oversized Track Jacket

$100

Buy Now at nike

Offered in sizes XS to XXL, this Nike track jacket has the feel of a swishy poncho and the look of something Rihanna might pair with some seemingly incongruous sandals. We like its coverage on the neck, elastic hem, and the fact that those color-happy panels don’t overwhelm the eye, letting the jacket be a companion to virtually anything: an LBD and a pencil skirt included, as recent runways have effectively hinted at. Sporty with an ounce of edge, the piece boasts a mesh lining for extra comfort and breathability when you need it most.

best color-blocked bra

FP Movement Never Better Colorblock Mini Bra

$68

Buy Now at free people

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Free People’s activewear offshoot FP Movement has perfected the color-blocked bras that took over circa-1980s aerobics classes, returned to fashion insiders’ closets at the turn of the millenium, and are once again being spotted in workout studios and on streets around the world.

This one’s sold in five shade combinations, with the pictured “Sandstorm and Sour Citrus” running out of sizes fast. Shoppers can’t get enough of its forgiving yet shape-retaining stretch; moisture-wicking capabilities; adjustable straps for a fit that’s precisely tailored to you; square neckline; and fabric that imitates butter.

Over 3,000 hearts on the website prove one thing — if you like what you see, you should grab it ASAP.

best track pants

Halara High-Waisted InstantCool Pants UPF40+

$54.95

Buy Now at halara

We found the best vintage-inspired track pants… with a twist. Halara’s high-waisted, striped pair takes the nostalgic silhouette up a notch with cutesy bows and a UPF 40+ rating (referring to the material’s ability to block at least 97.5 percent of the sun’s UV radiation and thus complement your daily sunscreen).

A$AP Rocky, Dakota Fanning, Hailey Bieber, and countless other stars, regardless of gender, have cosigned track pants in recent years, but this crucial part of a complete tracksuit actually got its start in the ’60s, when it was rolled out by Adidas. Since then, the snazzy staple has appeared in music videos, “Fight Club,” at Fashion Weeks, and on your favorite influencer’s Instagram grid.

It’s time to say “yes” to the throwback item, and Halara makes it so that you don’t have to sacrifice your signature coquetishness in the process.

best track shorts

Gap 2.5″ Track Shorts

$29 $59.95 52% off

Buy Now at gap

Vivid track shorts matched with cozy sweatshirts, graphic tees, tube tops, and button-ups are as en vogue as ever — just ask Harry Styles or his fiancée Zoë Kravitz. Gap’s take is not only affordable, at over 50 percent off, but also one of the most stylish out there, what with the shorts’ neon pink coloring, white drawcords, mesh stripes, and relatively cropped fit that will secure breeziness during your late-summer strolls and cardio sessions alike.

The pièce de résistance is a crinkly poplin composition: never feeling hot or constricting the legs while blessing your ‘fit at large with textural richness.

another option

Brooks Movement 3″ Dolphin Short

$55.25 $85 35% off

Buy Now at brooks running

Brooks is another shopping destination that has hopped on the track-short bandwagon. Its Movement style is marked by curved corners and side slits with a contrasting trim (characteristic of dolphin shorts, a name that comes from the Dolfin brand behind the original product, which rapidly pervaded both the fitness and casualwear realms after its release).

The on-sale buy is a multi-sport wonder complete with a key pocket and built-in liner, making it reliable and worthy of your high-powered lifestyle. Brooks says the piping is intended to “evoke classic running gear,” and we also appreciate the shorts’ innately accommodating nature: giving you space to move around as you please without a balloon-like appearance.

As a bonus, they’re almost fully crafted out of recycled materials — a win for you and a win for the planet.

best socks

FP Movement Super Scrunch Socks

$18

Buy Now at free people

Princess Di’s iconic ’90s athleisure ensembles were often punctuated by heavyweight, white, scrunched-up socks that extended the whiteness of her dad sneakers up the shins. So too has this accessory graced many an old-school fitness program, and now’s a great time to revisit it — pampering your activewear formulas with a bit more coziness and softness.

In 2026, tube socks are commonly worn with everything from the aforementioned sneakers to heels, clogs, and loafers, and FP Movement’s version is rooted in just this kind of versatility. Fully unrolled, the Super Scrunch Socks hit at the knee, but they do their best job when that ribbed knit is creased and folded right above your shoe of choice.

Because optionality is important, the brand presents four colors to pick from.

best foldover pants

Edikted Women’s Dayna Low-Rise Foldover Straight-Leg Pants

$64

Buy Now at macy’s

Like track pants, low-rise foldover pants are witnessing a renaissance — taking us back to the good ol’ days of dancewear in the Y2K era. And while you might’ve sourced yours from Victoria’s Secret at the time, dozens of other retailers have since joined the chorus and are continuing to come out with their own modern interpretations as we speak.

Gen Z go-to Edikted has a style, sold at Macy’s, that you’ll be tempted to take from brunch dates to nail appointments and, of course, that early morning power walk. Its nylon and spandex blend delivers comfiness without trying, just as a waistband in butter yellow balances out the pants’ navy hue.

The straight leg, meanwhile, is going to enter into fluent conversation with footwear like platform flip-flops, as shown, and even Tabi sneaker hybrids that would’ve generated pure shock just a few decades back.

best tank top

Nike Sportswear Women’s Tight Cropped Tank Top

$50

Buy Now at nike

We have five words for you: Jessica Alba in the 2000s. The celebrity is exactly who we think of first when the topic of vintage-coded tank tops comes up, and you can easily replicate her aesthetic of yore with Nike’s Tight Cropped Tank Top (all the better if there’s a velour track pant in the mix). The bestseller looks like it traveled to 2026 in a time machine, coming to you with a 100-percent cotton makeup, mint green exterior, and retro-futuristic metallic logo at center that only continues the allusions to the past.

The stomach-baring number sits close to the bod, so go ahead and don it with more voluminous bottoms for a play on proportions that Honey Daniels would surely approve of.

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Meet the Author

Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, wrote about tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on the season’s hottest fashion trends and how to shop them online.

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Vintage Activewear Is Trending for Fall 2026, and These Brands Are Doing It Best

Recent Articles by Stacia Datskovska

Related Articles

Best Vintage-Inspired Activewear to Shop This Year

Nike Sportswear Women’s Oversized Track Jacket

FP Movement Never Better Colorblock Mini Bra

Halara High-Waisted InstantCool Pants UPF40+

Gap 2.5″ Track Shorts

Brooks Movement 3″ Dolphin Short

FP Movement Super Scrunch Socks

Edikted Women’s Dayna Low-Rise Foldover Straight-Leg Pants

Nike Sportswear Women’s Tight Cropped Tank Top

Nike Sportswear Women’s Oversized Track Jacket

FP Movement Never Better Colorblock Mini Bra

Halara High-Waisted InstantCool Pants UPF40+

Gap 2.5″ Track Shorts

Brooks Movement 3″ Dolphin Short

FP Movement Super Scrunch Socks

Edikted Women’s Dayna Low-Rise Foldover Straight-Leg Pants

Nike Sportswear Women’s Tight Cropped Tank Top

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