I’ve decided to take my running more seriously. Naturally, I’ve started with the wardrobe.
I’m not a particularly good runner, but I’m willing to try a little harder if it means I can wear the kit. Some people are motivated by a finish time. I’m also interested in a sheer long sleeve and an excellent jacket.
These six brands offer something a little different. Represent, Bandit and SOAR have prints and finishes that would give my standard basics a much-needed lift. aesene has arrived at precisely the right moment for my interest in sheer layers. Philos has the floaty outerwear. Acid has the muted palette I’ll always come back to.
There’s quite a convincing running wardrobe taking shape here.
01
Represent 247 Manchester roots, with a broader training brief.
Represent was founded in Manchester by brothers George and Mike Heaton. Its 247 performance line takes that streetwear background into running and hybrid training, a combination that makes sense for someone whose week involves both miles and weights.
The metallic jacket in the edit is my pick. I like the finish, the volume and how easily it would work with black shorts and a fitted base underneath. It gives otherwise simple kit something to work around.
That’s where Represent interests me most: outerwear, prints and pieces with enough presence to change an outfit. I already own plenty of black basics. Giving them a better jacket feels like a sensible place to start.
02
Bandit Running Brooklyn beginnings. Race crops worth investigating.
Bandit started in a Brooklyn basement in 2020, with founder Tim West selling running socks. The local running community helped it grow into a full apparel brand, and community remains central to what it does.
The race crops are the draw for me. Interesting cuts, prints and colour combinations, with plenty I’d wear alongside pieces I already own.
I particularly like a printed crop with plain shorts. You get the interest up top, then leave the rest alone. Add a layer for the journey there and it’s an outfit I’d happily spend far too long choosing for a relatively short run.
Bandit was one of the labels I came back from New York wanting to explore further. The shortlist has grown since.
03
aesene For my current sheer-layer situation.
Founded by sisters Lucy and Megan Davis, aesene is a women-led performance and lifestyle brand. Its own language puts movement and self-expression together, shaped by the founders’ experience in sport and love of style.
I was already looking for sheer layers when I found it, so this was an easy introduction.
The translucent long sleeves are exactly what I’m after. Something over a sports bra or fitted base that adds texture while letting the colour underneath show through. I like the softer shades, too, especially mixed with a darker bottom half.
I’d start with one long sleeve and try it with several combinations already in my wardrobe. There’s a lot of potential in changing that one layer.
04
SOAR Running Technical credentials. Excellent print choices.
Designer and runner Tim Soar founded SOAR in Hackney in 2015. Advanced fabrics, precise construction and the demands of running sit at the centre of its approach.
The prints are what first caught my attention. The leopard crop in the carousel, worn with black shorts and arm sleeves, is a particularly good example of technical running kit with a strong visual identity.
I’d wear that crop with my plainest shorts and let the print do its job. The arm sleeves make the combination more interesting again, and they’ve earned a place on my list of things to investigate.
SOAR makes me want to read the product details after I’ve admired the outfit. That’s a useful combination.
05
Acid Running The muted colours do it for me.
Acid Running was founded in London by Oliver Powe. Its philosophy explores running’s physical and mental intensity, summed up in the phrase “Suffering & the Sublime”.
The clothes have a restrained feel: muted shades, clean shapes and subtle branding. After the prints elsewhere in this edit, I like having this option too.
The jacket is where I’d start. Its colour and shape give it enough interest without needing much underneath, and I can see it working with several of the darker pieces I wear regularly.
Acid appeals to the part of my wardrobe that’s already well established. Brown, grey, earthy colours and a good outer layer. Very little persuasion required.
06
Philos Running Here for the floaty layers.
Philos draws inspiration from running’s ancient roots. Its “Running as ceremony” philosophy recognises the run as a daily ritual: time to breathe, think and reconnect.
For me, the floaty outerwear is the attraction.
I love the light jacket over darker fitted kit in the carousel. You can see the layers underneath, while the fabric brings movement and a softer shape to the outfit. It’s an easy combination to imagine wearing.
The pleated running shorts are worth a look as well. Those details give Philos a character of its own, but I’d be heading for the jackets first.
07
The shortlist
Most of these brands sit at the premium end, so I’d choose the piece that adds the most to what I already wear.
For me, that means an interesting print, a sheer long sleeve or a jacket I’ll keep finding reasons to put on. There’s plenty of scope to mix them with existing kit rather than buy six complete outfits.
I’m taking the wardrobe part of this reinvention seriously. Now to give the running the same attention.
Explore the running edit for the pieces featured in the carousel.
