A fashion fan says she was shellshocked after trying gym wear from budget retailer Primark and 'posh' supermarket Marks and Spencer (M&S). Fashion lovers often go to M&S for high quality items of clothing which will last the test of time.
There are several pieces of gym wear on M&S' website which have had glowing five-star reviews from impressed shoppers. One of the most popular items are M&S' £25 Go Balance High Waisted Yoga Leggings.
The £25 M&S yoga pants have been branded 'extremely comfy' by shoppers, and have been heaped with praise.
Reviewing the £25 M&S yoga pants, one shopper raved: "I’m really happy with these, they are soft and extremely comfy. I’ll be looking out for other colours." Another said: "Lovely and comfortable. Perfect for my exercise classes. Great fit and style."
"Super comfortable, fitting snugly but a nice amount of stretch. Highish waist with a cross over top which helps with shaping. Lovely material also," said a third.
But now Primark is offering a huge range of gym wear which costs substantially less. Can Primark compete with M&S?
On a mission to find out whether M&S gym wear is really better than Primark's, Emily Collis, a reporter at our sister site Birmingham Live, bought sets from each retailer to put them to the test. The results were astonishing.
Here's what Emily said:
Primark
I headed to my local Primark in Birmingham and walked straight into a nylon rainbow. The colours were gorgeous - lilac, pastel green, all the blues, grey, black and pinks.
I must have been in there at least 45 minutes, trying to make my mind up, but the sizing didn't help. Everything was in in-between-y sizes - a medium was 12-14 and large 14-16 - which made it difficult to know which one would fit me, a bog standard 14. A large in one style also looked totally different to a large in another.
I couldn't tell if the things that looked like sports bras actually were ones, or just crop tops, as there was no mention of support. But when it came to the price, I had no complaints. I picked up two pairs of leggings, three bra tops including a cute pastel-coloured two-pack for £8, plus a basic vest - all for £32.
The first outfit I put to the test was the grey leggings, £8, matching bra, £5, and black vest top, £3. The bra didn't actually make it to the gym - it was too big, even in the medium, and the non-existent support made it feel like I wasn't wearing a bra at all.
The cheap vest top, on the other hand, was probably my favourite item from the Primark haul. The fabric was thin and breathable and the fit was just right - I bought a large and it was loose-fitting without being boxy.
The leggings seemed great at first - the fabric wasn't soft and shiny like my usual ones, but they hugged my figure and felt comfortable. A couple of minutes into my jog, however, I could feel them starting to slip.
They kept sagging around my bum and it felt like I was wearing a nappy on the treadmill. It was annoying having to keep yanking them up and the fabric was starting to itch. I'd had enough after 20 minutes and, feeling frustrated, called it a day.
I hoped the purple leggings, £8, would fair better. The fabric felt a bit softer and I'd got them in a medium (because the large looked loads bigger than the grey). The bras from the set fit really nicely, had a beautiful cut-out design on the back and offered decent support while jogging.
The only problem was, when they were on, you could clearly see the padded cups through the fabric. When I took them out though, the fabric was too see-through. In the end, I left the cups out and threw a baggy tee over the top.
The leggings didn't fall down or set my legs on fire, at least. But they still felt a bit restrictive. When I tried to lift my legs on the captain's chair or squat, I could feel them pulling down at the back. It seemed the fabric was the issue, not the sizing.
M&S
I didn't even know that M&S did gym wear. Some of the clothing on Marks' website looked like it was aimed at women a little older than me, but I still found some really lovely-looking pieces.
I picked a pair of black yoga leggings, £25, a medium support lilac sports bra, £16, lilac animal-print leggings, was £27.50, now £20, the matching bra, £25, and a plain oversized white t-shirt, £17.50, totalling £103.50.
First up was the colourful animal print set from M&S's Good Move range. I wasn't sure I'd like the bra - it had a big zip at the front - but it was surprisingly comfortable, easier to get on and off, and held everything in without flattening my chest, thanks to the moulded cups. The straps were nice and thick so didn't dig in. I sized up after reading the reviews and was glad I did.
The leggings were really comfy too. The fabric was buttery-soft and moved with my body - and it didn't go see-through when I bent down, or gape at the back. I didn't see much point in the drawstring waist as the bottoms fit like a glove already.
I didn't think the other set could beat it, but the black leggings were next-level. The fabric was luxuriously soft, but still stretchy and hugged my curves in all the right places.
My favourite feature was the wrap-front waistband. Though designed for yoga, I wore these for my usual work-out and found them to be even more comfortable than my other pairs.
The lilac bra top was beautiful and fit really nicely, but didn't provide me with the support I'd want for a high-intensity work-out. The oversized tee was light and breathable and a great fit, as well - baggy how I like, while the slits at the side and drop-tail back made it surprisingly flattering.
The verdict
Not only did Primark's leggings not stand up to the squat test, but the outfits I bought just weren't fit for the gym. It's such a shame as the clothing looked incredible - nicer than M&S's, I'd say - but it was style over substance for the most part, though the £3 vest top proved to be the biggest surprise of the lot.
The cost of my M&S haul was over three times what I spent at Primark, but the quality of Marks' was 1,000 times better in my experience. Plus, their work-out gear is still cheaper than a lot of the major fitness brands. Those black yoga leggings are my new favourite pair and I've pretty much lived in them since.
You can shop Marks and Spencer's full gym wear collection here.
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