Reader Uniform: Gymshark Dupes? Part I

While most of this blog is dedicated to my love of all things books, I also have a love for working out and clothes. Luckily workout clothes are usually super comfy and work perfectly for reading as well.

About two years ago I was going to the gym almost five days a week and was probably the strongest I have ever been. Then life happened and I had to take a break, quit my gym membership and focus on other aspects of my health. Working full time also can put a damper on hours spent lifting weights. But I am finally at a place where I can start working towards my former goals.

Now that I am getting back into longer workouts and trying to get back some of my previous strength I was on the hunt for some new workout clothes. Now I love my yoga leggings. They are silky smooth, you can barely tell you're wearing them, and they fit perfectly. Check out my budget pick here or my Alo review here. But they are almost too soft for when I want to lift weights or do cardio. Which led me down a rabbit hole of YouTube workout clothes hauls and countless articles on gym wear. What did I see over and over and over again? Gymshark.

Gymshark is a UK based activewear brand that had humble beginnings in a garage and is now one of the most popular brands to get reviewed on YouTube constantly by their own athletes and independent reviewers. Their unique contouring and designs also made them a favorite on Instagram. From all the reviews I have seen the stuff is cute and functional, especially for strength training.

Videos from the likes of Ashley Gaita, HopeScope, and Kathryn Mueller introduced me to the wide variety of options available from the gym giant and I was slowly becoming more and more interested. Despite that interest the $50.00 a pair for the leggings wasn't quite fitting into my budget.

So I went in search of dupes and found two contenders. Today I'm going to be talking about the first ones and oh my goodness are they perfection. Check out the review below.

Brand: Aoxjox
Style: High Waisted Vital Seamless Workout Yoga Gym Shorts
Size: Small
Color: Vital Marine Blue Marl

Well that style name is an absolute mouthful and I think the brand is pronounced "ox-jocks" but these shorts are basically a dupe for the Vital Seamless shorts from Gymshark. Check out the originals here and the dupes here. As you can see they use the same photos. Where the difference lies is in the $40.00 vs $26.99 for a pair of shorts.

From one of my videos

I was a little skeptical at first but the Aoxjox really do get great ratings. What convinced me to finally try them is that they had a lightning deal on Amazon that took them from $26.99 to $22.94. Not a massive difference but enough to make me curious. And oh boy am I glad I tried them.

Still from one of my videos

These fit just like the pictures without any weird defects or strange features I wasn't expecting and they are absolutely true to size. The inseam is approximately 4 inches which means that they are shorter shorts but definitely not booty shorts. Somewhere in between bikers and volleyball style shorts. I felt comfortable being in public in these whereas my Under Armour HeatGear shorts I wear under tennis skirts I would never leave the house in solo. If you're looking for longer shorts check out my biker shorts recommendations here. The seams that ran along the bottom of each leg were pushed into my thighs a little bit but did not create any bulges and they stayed put through lounging, weight training, and yoga.

The waistband is very high and on my 5'3" frame it hits right at the bottom of my ribs when I sit down and slightly above my natural waist when standing. It is a compressive waistband that hugs you in while wearing without overly squeezing. If you are self conscious about your lower stomach or are bloating do be aware that these shorts do not hide that very well. The compression stops just below my bellybutton which means that there can be a slight bulge where your lower abdominals are not being compressed. Usually this is not a problem or overly noticeable but it could become an issue. Another slight concern is that the waistband can fold over ever so slightly at the top the longer you wear them. This didn't bother me but could bother some.

As far as movability these are fantastic. I was worried that the fabric would be stiff and scratchy since

Label

seamless leggings typically look like they are a thicker material than the silkier yoga leggings I am used to. They are actually incredibly soft and stretch well. I did a lot of bending and twisting in them while doing yoga and never felt any resistance or like they were going to tear. Think of the fabric being like a favorite stretchy t-shirt. It is composed of 54% nylon, 34% polyester, and 12% elastane. The Gymshark Vital Seamless shorts are 55% nylon, 33% polyester, and 12% elastane. So very similar there.

When it comes to coverage these are pretty flawless. They are squat proof for one. There were no visible shadows or coloring showing through in various levels of light. I would read the reviews on different colors though. Aoxjox even puts in the product pictures which pairs are not particularly squat proof. These are also some of the more underwear line friendly shorts I have tried and they are barely visible if at all. Despite the elongated gusset and no front seam, there can be some issues with camel toe.

Back of shorts w/ raised seam

Contouring can be a tricky thing in activewear, especially depending on your comfort level. If done correctly it can subtly enhance your curves and add to your confidence. Sometimes it can be a bit much. The Gymshark Flex collection is quite obvious in its lighter colors as it tries to shape and enhance your bum. While this may be cute on others, it's a bit much for me personally. These Vital shorts do have subtle contouring through slightly darker dots in the fabric to enhance and it actually works nicely without being obvious. So if you're looking for subtlety these will do the job.

Front of shorts

I have already washed these once. On a cold gentle cycle and accidentally threw them in the dryer on high heat. The shorts look fine and did not shrink at all. They held their shape well and the color did not fade. I did notice the long tag in the back looked a little frayed but I may cut that out anyways.

Overall these are a solid pair of shorts great for working out or
lounging in and come at a pretty descent price.