THE FASHIONABILITY OF WORKING OUT
Fashion and fitness are closely linked. Think about the workout sets that are popular, the many athletic brands that have risen just over the past 10 years. Working out is no longer just about improving your personal health, it’s about looking good while you do it, too. Given all of this however, there are still major gaps in the link between fashion and fitness. The biggest gap being the gender divide. It is still a fact that consumer spending is made up of 80% women. In a general scan of most major athletic wear brands, most of their campaigns and front pages feature women. We took a look at Fabletics, Athleta, Lululemon, and Gymshark. Only Gymshark featured both women and men on their homepage, and advertised their men’s athletic wear. Not only does this show that the athletic wear industry needs women, but they value their consumership. So, how is it that fitness and fashion often is a space that is feminized, inclusive, and overall welcoming of women in fitness, but the actual workout equipment doesn’t reflect that?
In an article by the PsyPost, called, “Women in strength sports confront gender norms and find empowerment” the author, Eric W. Dolan discusses a study that was conducted by researchers to highlight the experiences of women athletes and coaches in male-dominated sports. Specifically, strength sports, including lifting. Dolan writes, “Previous research has shown that women in male-dominated sports are often subjected to discrimination, exclusion from key networks, and systemic bias, particularly in coaching roles. The researchers aimed to explore how women athletes and coaches experience these dynamics in strength sports, which have been slow to integrate women into their traditions.” The findings of the study seemed to align with the previous research. Some women felt uplifted by their male peers, but at the same time had negative encounters. You can read the whole article here: http://psypost.org/women-in-strength-sports-confront-gender-norms-and-find-empowerment/
Given all of this, it is clear that there is quantitative proof that women have trouble feeling comfortable in a space like strength training. We at ZipWeights would like to go even a step further and say that the dull look of workout equipment actually furthers the gender divide within strength sports. Most workout equipment is dark, bulky, and intimidating. If males already dominate these spaces as it is, why would women feel like they can conquer something as “scary” as weightlifting? The truth of the matter is, if we can feminize the athleticwear space, we can feminize the tools we use to work out.
It is our belief that making workout equipment stylish, sleek, and like something you would want in your home, that it would make you want to workout as well. Not only this, but women and newcomers to weightlifting might feel more comfortable trying strength sports simply due to the less intimidating nature of the equipment. But, don’t get it twisted, feminizing workout equipment doesn’t just help women, it helps men too. Patriarchal standards negatively affect men as well as women. Men should also not feel intimidated by strength sports, that it’s not just a limited boys club, and further, that they can be stylish too.
Well, that is one of the core missions and values at ZipWeights. Not only to we value accessibility (not just for women), but we wanted to create a product that not only revolutionized how people work out, but how the actual equipment looks, in your home, at the gym, in your hands. With our triangluar design of the weights to our urethane coating, ZipWeights meets functionality and fashion. Additionally, after our initial launch of the weight system, we intend to expand the options for colors of the weights, and want to introduce the ability to customize your own set to match your personal style and aesthetic. This not only supports the vision for your personal workout routine and home gym, but if you are an owner of a boutique gym or small studio, customizing ZipWeights to fit your brand could be a game-changer.
But don’t just take our word for it, if you subscribe to our Next-Level List, which is our monthly newsletter, you will find that we have featured an article from W Magazine that was published last year, all about Miley Cyrus. The article was a piece on her career and how far she’s come, but something that stood out to us was her comments on the workout space. She mentions that most workout equipment is ugly, and she’s interested in feminizing the workout space.
We want everyone to feel empowered when they workout - and much like the workout sets and outfits that grow more popular by the day, at ZipWeights we want your workout equipment to motivate you as well. Gone are the days of ugly, intimidating equipment, and coming soon is a new age of fitness that everyone can grow with - and yes, we mean everyone.
If you would like to follow along with ZipWeights journey, sign up for our Next-Level List, available through our website. Also check out our about us, or our story pages to hear more about the ZipWeights mission and what we are doing to make ZipWeights a reality and into your hands!