Creatine Optional: 8 Sportswear Brands That Don’t Scream ‘Gym Bro’

Somewhere along the line, gymwear got hijacked. What began as practical gear designed to move, breathe and support your body morphed into a uniform of hyper-masculine bravado. Screaming neon logos, too-tight vests, over-engineered compression and branding so aggressive it looks like it’s trying to lift weights on its own. In short: the era of the gym bro.

But not everyone wants to look like a pre-workout-chugging motivational speaker. For men who train hard but dress soft — who favour elegance over ego — there’s now a growing stable of brands offering performancewear that works just as hard, without shouting about it.

This is refined, minimalist, purpose-built sportswear that you can wear to train, but also to exist in the real world — where subtlety, comfort and style matter just as much as function.

The Problem With Looking Like a Gym Bro

There’s a difference between dressing for the gym and dressing like the gym. The latter can feel performative — all tribal chest-thumping and TikTok hustle energy. The ‘gym bro’ aesthetic leans into toxic masculinity tropes: louder equals better, tighter equals stronger, slogans instead of substance.

The irony? Most guys dressed like this are doing far too many mirror selfies and not nearly enough mobility work. Looking like a gym bro often signals an obsession with image, rather than performance, recovery or longevity.

The Tell-Tale Signs of a Gym Bro

If you’re not sure whether you’ve crossed over into gym bro territory, here are a few of the classic giveaways:

• Nip-slip vests: So low cut they make 70s disco shirts look modest. Bonus points if the nipples are somehow always visible.
• Slogan tanks: Anything with ‘Beast Mode’, ‘No Days Off’ or ‘Pain is Gain’ deserves to be quietly set on fire.
• Excessive branding: If your outfit has more logos than a Formula 1 car, you’re not sponsored — you’re just loud.
• Short shorts with massive sneakers: The proportions are off. It’s like wearing ballet pumps with cargo trousers.
• Shaker bottle as an accessory: Carried in public, with nothing inside. Just vibes and unspoken creatine consumption.
• Over-compression: Compression tops so tight you look like a vacuum-packed ham. Recovery wear isn’t meant to be a personality.

The antidote? Brands that get the assignment: technical fabrics, tailored fits, no nonsense.

Anti-Gym-Bro Performance Wear Brands

Castore

Refined, British and engineered to perform. Castore walks the line between elite athleticism and quiet luxury.

Its garments—made with precision-knit fabrics, laser-cut ventilation and bonded seams—are used by top-level athletes (think McLaren’s F1 team, England cricket, Andy Murray) but are designed for men who don’t need to shout.

Branding is minimal, colours are muted and fits are sharp without being restrictive. It’s the gym kit equivalent of a bespoke suit: looks smart, moves well and ages beautifully.

Shop now at Castore

Ten Thousand

If your idea of a perfect gym session is deadlifts in silence followed by a cold plunge, Ten Thousand is your brand.

The NYC-based label is known for its obsessive development process. Before releasing anything, it tests every item with Navy SEALS, pro climbers and elite athletes. The resulting gear is sleek, brutally functional, and refreshingly subtle.

Its Interval Short is a cult classic, designed with laser-cut hems, bonded seams and anti-odour tech. And the brand’s training tees have just the right amount of stretch without clinging like sausage casing.

In short, this is performance wear for people who train hard and brag never.

Shop now at Ten Thousand

Reigning Champ

Canadian-born and rooted in classic athletic codes, Reigning Champ is the go-to for heavyweight terry, meticulous construction and timeless silhouettes.

While many brands chase trends, Reigning Champ sits confidently in its lane, offering hoodies, sweatshirts and tees that are as at home in the gym as they are on a coffee run.

The label’s technical line adds moisture-wicking and stretch where needed, but always with that signature clean look. This is the thinking man’s sportswear — simple, serious and built to last.

Shop now at SSENSE

District Vision

For those who believe performance begins in the mind, District Vision offers a holistic approach to training apparel. Born in New York but spiritually aligned with Japanese design philosophy, its running and training gear is minimal, ergonomic and often designed in collaboration with athletes, designers and wellness experts.

Technical mesh, thermoregulating shells, and meditative colour palettes make for kit that feels different — because it is.

The polar opposite of shouty gymwear, DV is more about movement, mindfulness and mountain marathons than mirror selfies.

Shop now at MR PORTER

Lululemon

Once the darling of yoga mums and suburban spin classes, Lululemon has quietly evolved into a serious contender in the men’s gym wear space.

Its training line offers sleek, functional gear that performs under pressure but keeps things tastefully muted. Expect four-way stretch fabrics, sweat-wicking tech and tailored silhouettes that can handle lifting, running or lounging.

With refined fits, thoughtful design details and genuinely impressive durability, Lululemon has moved well beyond mat-based workouts — and into the realm of everyday performance wear for grown men.

Shop now at Lululemon

ALO Yoga

ALO has expanded beyond its Instagram roots to deliver a men’s line that balances function, flow and fashion. The brand’s clothes are built for mobility — yoga, yes, but also callisthenics, strength training, or just moving like a civilised adult.

The cuts are clean, the branding low-key and the colour palette runs from earthy neutrals to urban greys.

If you want to look put together without looking like you tried, ALO is quietly killing it.

Shop now at ALO

Pangaia

Pangaia isn’t just a fashion brand — it’s a material science company with serious green credentials. But eco-friendly doesn’t mean performance-light.

The brand’s activewear line includes bio-based stretch fabrics, seaweed fibre blends and anti-bacterial finishes — all wrapped in a muted, minimalist aesthetic. This is the rare gear that feels equally at home in a gym, on a plane or in a creative studio.

Ideal if you like your protein shakes plant-based and your design language clean.

Shop now at Pangaia

Aether

Technical without being tactical, Aether brings an engineer’s mindset to performance wear.

The outdoor label’s pieces are built with the kind of obsessive attention to fabric and fit you’d expect from a luxury outerwear brand — because that’s where they started.

Today, its base layers, joggers and hybrid jackets are a masterclass in restraint. Functional, yes. But more Soho House than Muscle Beach.

Shop now at Aether