Hi friends! Summer is in full force here. Cue the heat and humidity! So, of course I have been wearing and searching for outfits that are breathable and light. In my quest, I have become fixated on finding an exercise dress with the best fit. A few weeks ago, I asked for your recommendations after trying an exercise dress that I felt was too short, even though I ordered the tall version and am not that tall (5’8″) .. more on that later. Fast forward, I have tried on five different exercise dresses and today, I am going to share photos, reviews and details for each one. At the bottom of this post, I rank the dresses for you and share my personal favorite one too.

One more thing to note – I do not plan on working out in an exercise dress, but I do plan on chasing my toddler on the playground and doing some long walks in mine. So, if you are looking to work out in a dress, just keep that in mind when I talk about the fit below. There are a couple that I recommend specifically for working out!

Abercrombie & Fitch’s Traveler Mini Dress

Let’s kick-off with the first dress I tried — Abercrombie’s traveler dress. I saw this dress all over Instagram and it keeps getting sold out. I was intrigued and decided to try the tall length since the regular version hit mid-thigh on a couple petite bloggers I follow. Overall, I like a lot of things about this dress, but I was too uncomfortable with the short length to keep it. Maybe if I sized up, I would get some extra length. If you are taller than me, I do not recommend this dress.. unless you are comfortable with shorter dresses!

• PRICE: $61
• SIZING: XXS – XXL
• LENGTH: Hits above mid-thigh; this dress was the shortest one of all I tried
• STRAPS: Adjustable with clip for an optional racerback style and more support
• LINING: hidden, built-in biker-style shorts
• POCKET: One, on right side of shorts
• FIT: The fit of this dress is true to size. It fits close to your body without being skin tight. There is an elastic band under the bust but no padding. Fabric is a soft polyester blend.

Madewell’s MWL Flex Fitness Dress

If you’re looking for an exercise dress that isn’t the normal scoop neck style, Madewell’s Flex Fitness Dress might be for you. The neckline and this green color really caught my eye. Overall, I felt like this dress was the cutest one. The only thing I would change about it would be sewn-in cups or padding of some kind.

• PRICE: $88
• SIZING: XXS – 4X
• LENGTH: Hits mid thigh
• STRAPS: Not adjustable but very stretchy; cross in the back
• LINING: hidden, built-in biker-style shorts
• POCKET: One, on left side of shorts
• FIT & FABRIC: The fit of this dress is true to size. It fits close to your body without being skin tight. There is an elastic band under the bust but no padding. Fabric is super soft polyester blend and seems breathable/not too heavy.
  

Old Navy’s PowerSoft Active Dress

With notches at the hem line and thicker straps Old Navy hit the spot with their PowerSoft Active Dress! This is a great exercise dress overall. I love the thicker straps, the built-in bra padding and that the fabric is good for sweaty work outs — it dries quickly.

PRICE: $54.99
SIZING: XS – 4X
LENGTH: Hits mid thigh; regular, petite & tall options. I got the regular length. **If you are very tall, this dress in the tall option is your best bet!
STRAPS: Not adjustable, but perfect fit
LINING: hidden, built-in biker-style shorts
POCKET: One, on right side of shorts
FIT & FABRIC: The fit of this dress is true to size, just a little tight in the chest/upper back for me. It fits close to your body without being skin tight. There is built-in bra, with removable cups and soft-brushed elastic hem. Fabric is a soft polyester blend, which includes their Go-Dry moisture-wicking technology.

Outdoor Voices’ The Exercise Dress

For a sweaty workout, Outdoor Voices’ The Exercise Dress would be my first recommendation. This dress also wins the award for most color and pattern options! I had high hopes for this one, but there were two things I didn’t like — the short length and the lack of padding in the built-in bra.

• PRICE: $100
• SIZING: XXS – XXXL
• LENGTH: Hits above mid-thigh; this dress was almost as short as the Abercrombie one
• STRAPS: Adjustable; Y-back
• LINING: hidden, built-in biker-style shorts with grippers on the shorts to keep them from riding up
• POCKET: Two, one on each side of shorts
• FIT & FABRIC: The fit of this dress is true to size, but I did feel like the shorts elastic were a little tight.. maybe that is a good thing to keep the shorts in place. This dress fits close to your body without being skin tight. There is an elastic band under the bust but no padding. Different from all the other dresses, the fabric for this dress is nylon. So, its the thinnest and most lightweight – definitely the best for sweaty summer activities.

Walmart’s Avia Exercise Dress

At the most budget-friendly price-point, Walmart’s Avia Exercise Dress was surprisingly great quality. It checked the box for me in terms of length and the removable bra padding. The fabric kept rolling along the neckline though and that really bothered me. Maybe it would be a non-issue if you have a small chest.

• PRICE: $29.98
• SIZING: XXS – XXXL
• LENGTH: Hits mid-thigh
• STRAPS: Adjustable; criss cross in the back
• LINING: hidden, built-in biker-style shorts
• POCKET: Two, one on each side of shorts
• FIT & FABRIC: The fit of this dress is true to size, but this was the roomiest one I tried on. The dress fits pretty close to your body and has some flow in the skirt portion. There is an elastic band under the bust and removable padding. Fabric is a soft polyester blend, a little thicker than the other dresses.

The Verdict – My Favorite Exercise Dress

If you made it this far, maybe you have come to the same conclusion I have. Not all exercise dresses are created equal OR the same haha! There are more differences with them than I had thought about initially. I knew the length was important for me, but after trying on all my options, I realized a few other things were important to me too — soft fabric and a built-in bra with padding.

While it was hard for me to narrow them down, I knew I only wanted to keep one, maybe two dresses. So, overall my favorite dress was Old Navy’s PowerSoft Active Dress. The fabric is soft but I love that it is has their quick-dry technology. I also found the thick straps most supportive, loved the built-in bra and the notches in the hemline. With all the size options, too, this dress would be my first recommendation. My second choice is Madewell’s Flex Fitness Dress. It was definitely the softest one and I felt like the fit was so cute! I just wish it had padding in the built-in bra, but I know some nipple covers would help.

Shop all the Exercise Dresses

Hopefully, if you are searching for an exercise dress to wear this summer this, my reviews and photos help you find one that fits your needs. If you have found an exercise dress you love that I didn’t try on, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. And as always if you ever have questions, leave a comment or message me on Instagram!

Cheers!

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