Oysho, you had me at sports bras
As a busty bigger girl, if I want to start questioning my existence, all I have to do is go inside a fitting room with an armful of sports bras to try on.
The dressing room existential crisis is a real thing—and for me, nothing triggers it quite like having to shop for sports bras (and swimsuits, but that’s a whole other novel).
I close the curtain and the one-person wrestling match begins. I take the stretchy fabric off its hanger, and it instantly becomes a puzzle that I need to solve. I contort my body in an attempt to put it on. No sign of gracefulness here, just a lot of grunting, bending, twisting, jumping, stretching, pulling. I swear, I have actually pulled a muscle trying to get one of these things on.
It’s inevitable: The bra will get stuck halfway, and it’s at this point that I will contemplate asking the sales staff for help. But I can’t—my boobs are hanging out.
And so I persist. I will find myself asking, again and again, “Is this a sports bra or a straitjacket?”
By the time I get it on, I will be exhausted, disheveled, and out of breath—and then I’ll realize that something is wrong. The straps are digging into my skin, the band is too tight, the pads are all wonky, the back is totally twisted, my bazookas are spilling out, or the bra just doesn’t offer the support I need.
And so I begin the whole ordeal again, moving on to the next bra, and the next, and the next, eventually asking, “How did I get here? Why am I doing this to myself?”
It’s one of the few shopping trips I dread. I try to put it off for as long as possible—and that’s what I’ve been doing the past weeks. I had been needing to buy new sports bras because I had recently restarted my long-overdue fitness journey, but I’d been dragging my feet because I knew exactly what I was in for—or so I thought.
Store opening
I got the push I needed when my editor asked me to cover the opening of Oysho at Greenbelt 5, its second store in the country. The SSI group brought the activewear and athleisure brand from Spain to the Philippines last year, opening its first branch at the SM Mall of Asia.
Known for high-performance activewear, stylish athleisure pieces, and comfortable loungewear, Oysho, a sister brand of Zara, has become a favorite of fitness enthusiasts across the world, their go-to for workout essentials like leggings, tops, shorts, and yes, sports bras.
I found plenty of that and more at Oysho’s expansive 429.64-sqm Greenbelt store. There were leggings, so many kinds of leggings—Light Touch, Comfortlux, Evermove, Compressive, Perfect-Adapt, high-rise, high-waisted, V-waist, ankle-length, knee-length, capri, biker, hot pants, flare, and more.
They stock pretty much everything you could need for an active day, from head to toe—whether that means hitting the gym, playing tennis, doing yoga, hiking, or going for a run: tracksuits, shirts, tops, shorts, athletic skirts, caps, headbands, scrunchies, sports socks, yoga and Pilates socks, even undies. They carry shoes as well—from trainers and running shoes to mules.
There are great finds for more relaxed days, too: co-ord sets, T-shirts, trousers, tops, knitwear, linen pieces.
Style and comfort
I love Oysho’s mix of style and comfort—the fabrics are so soft, so easy to wear, and ideal for everyday dressing and for travel, too. Half of what I'd pack for a trip could come straight from there.
There were hoodies, jackets, coats, and windbreakers. I was so tempted to buy one of the raincoats for my daily walk to and from work because I can no longer count the number of times I’ve been drenched by the rain these past weeks. Oysho’s 10K-rated raincoats, which come in different cuts and colors, are designed to withstand heavy rain, with fabrics that can resist up to 10,000 mm of water pressure and sealed seams that provide an extra layer of protection. At the Greenbelt 5 store, one of the coats hangs under a perpetual downpour inside a glass case—a cool display demonstrating just how well their coats can hold up against the elements.
Oysho’s bags caught my attention, too. They have a good selection—crossbody bags, sports bags, shopper bags, running belt bags—offering options whether you want to carry your whole life with you or you just need your phone and keys while you run.
I have a feeling I will end up coming back for the raincoat and the bags. But on that first visit, my priority was to find a new sports bra.
Oysho has an abundance of them, in different styles, colors, cuts, and levels of support. Still convinced that finding a good sports bra is like finding a needle in a haystack, I gathered a ridiculous amount of them. Oysho’s patient and helpful staff hung them up for me in one of the fitting rooms, along with the other things I wanted to try on. There were a lot, including many pairs of pants—I love Oysho’s pants.
Sports bra battle
I closed the curtain behind me and braced myself for the usual sports bra battle. But that’s not what happened. Sure, there was some contortion involved when I put on the high-support Compressive sports bra with a crossover back. But instead of getting exhausted and frustrated, I found myself grinning at the mirror. I thought, hey, this actually looks and feels good. I tried on another bra and, to my surprise, the same thing happened. And then it happened again with another. And another.
In the end, my discard pile was much smaller than my keep pile, and I found myself facing a dilemma I’d never had before. I had gone from “Will I ever find a decent sports bra?” to “Oh, no. I love too many of them. Which ones am I willing to leave behind?”
Instead of the dreaded dressing room existential crisis, I experienced fitting room joy.
I went home with three new sports bras, pants, and a shirt—and the peace of knowing I have found a safe shopping space in Oysho.
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Oysho is at Level 2 Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St., Makati.
