Offer a standalone sports bra if you want the simplest product to stock and reorder, a bra-and-legging set if you want a complete outfit with a higher order value, and a shorts set if your customers train in warm weather. Those are the three gym set styles for women that we manufacture, and most new ranges start with one set and the matching bra sold on its own.
All three are cut from nylon-elastane or polyester-elastane, in sizes XS to 2XL, with sizes mixed within a style. Using the same fabric for top and bottom means both pieces of a set match in colour and feel, including after washing.
The three styles in detail
Sports bra
A sports bra on its own is the most flexible product in this category. Customers mix it with leggings, shorts or joggers they already own, and they often buy more than one colour.
Start with how the bra will be worn:
- A low-cut, simple bra suits yoga, stretching and everyday wear.
- A higher neckline with a wider underband suits gym wear and gives more coverage.
Straps, back shape and pads are confirmed when you choose the style. Pads can be added on styles built for them, with an opening so they can be taken out for washing.
Who buys it: almost every activewear customer, and studios selling at the front desk.
Bra-and-legging set
A sports bra paired with full-length leggings in the same fabric and colour. This is the outfit customers photograph and share, and it lets a brand present a complete look.
Customers often wear a different size on top and bottom, so set pieces can be sized separately. That avoids the most common complaint about sets: a good fit on one piece and a poor fit on the other.
Who buys it: customers who want a coordinated outfit, gift buyers, and online shoppers responding to a styled photograph.
Shorts set
A sports bra paired with close-fitting shorts. It suits hot climates, summer ranges and indoor training, and it is a lighter purchase than a full legging set.
Who buys it: warm-climate buyers, studio customers, and shoppers trying the brand for the first time.
Comparing the three
| Sports bra | Bra-and-legging set | Shorts set | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pieces | One | Two | Two |
| Typical use | Everything | Gym, yoga, all-day | Warm-weather training |
| Sizing | One size | Top and bottom sized separately | Top and bottom sized separately |
| Packing | Single bag | Set in one bag, or separately | Set in one bag, or separately |
| Logo positions | Underband or back | Bra plus leggings waistband | Bra plus shorts waistband |
| Climate | All year | Cooler and mixed | Warm |
A small heat transfer logo on the underband or back of the bra suits most designs, with matching placement on the waistband of the bottoms. Repeating the same position across a set makes it look deliberate.
Building a first range
The minimum is 100 pieces per style, with sizes mixed within it. How set pieces count towards that is confirmed at quotation. Because each style is a separate commitment, choose deliberately.
Some practical starting combinations:
- Sports bra plus bra-and-legging set in the same colours. Customers who want only the bra can buy it, and customers who want the outfit buy the set.
- Shorts set in two colours for a warm-climate launch, with the legging set added later.
- Sports bra in four colours for a seller who wants to test which colours move before committing to sets.
- Bra-and-legging set and shorts set in one shared colour palette, for a brand with a strong outfit-led look.
Plan the two pieces together
Decide early whether each set is packed together in one bag or sold as separates. Packing together makes a neat set product. Selling separately gives customers freedom to choose different sizes, colours or bottoms. Either can work; changing your mind after production is harder.
Keep fabric consistent
Use one fabric across a set and, ideally, across the range. Nylon-elastane gives a smooth, soft feel with a slight sheen. Polyester-elastane has a matte look and holds strong colour well. Matching fabric keeps colours identical across pieces, which customers notice immediately when a top and bottom sit side by side.
Sizing across a set
Because tops and bottoms can be sized separately, your size chart needs both a bra chart (underbust and bust) and a bottoms chart (waist, hip, inside leg). Our guide to leggings size charts and size ratios covers the bottoms side in detail, and the same principles apply to the leggings in a set.
When you are ready, tell us which of the three styles you want, the fabric, colours, rough quantities, whether sets are packed together, and your logo. See the full range on our white label sports bras and gym sets page. We quote per style, by fabric, quantity and branding, and make a sample so you can try each piece.