Athleisure wear is upping the game in the fashion industry and brands are leaning heavily toward this style every day.
To live the life of athleisure, would mean being on the lookout for the most flexible leggings, cute comfy shorts, flattering fitting joggers, supportive comfy sports bras, and the likes.
A design of apparel that combines comfort, fashion, and function, is the beauty of athleisure. But, this beauty is not always cheap. Brands like Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane are one the tops in this game and they don’t come cheap.
The Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane brands are both activewear brands that specialize in clothing and accessories. Their target audience is young women.
In addition, they’re both luxury brands that offer quality and sustainability at a high price. So, whether you’re into yoga, running, cycling or you’re the fashion-conscious type, both brands have what you will need.
But what is the difference between these brands, which brand offers better quality? Keep on reading to find out as I draw an in-depth comparison between them.
What Is The Major Difference Between Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane?
The Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane brands have a lot in common in that they offer a lot for women with nothing for men. However, they have their differences.
Sweaty Betty for instance is a British-based company that started in 1998 while Lorna Jane is an Australian-based company that started eight years before Sweaty Betty.
Another difference in both brands is that Sweaty Betty offers wholesale purchasing options, refurbished products, loyalty programs, and Klarna pay support while Lorna Jane doesn’t have these offers but has Afterpay financing support.
Also, Sweaty Betty includes plus sizes for most of their products while Lorna Jane doesn’t accommodate plus sizes. On the other hand, Lorna Jane does international shipping while Sweaty doesn’t offer international shipping.
Why This Comparison?
Drawing a comparison between these brands is very important as both brands are into similar lines of products. Both Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane focus on activewear for only women. They also have clothes for casual occasions, all having excellent quality.
In addition, these brands are very popular, competing with other well-known brands like Lululemon, Nike, and Athleta. So, this comparison will enable you to choose which brand is best for you or which line of their products you would go for.
History Of Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty is a British-based retail brand that focuses on women’s activewear. It was started in 1998 by Tamara and Simon Hill-Norton with one store in London’s Notting Hill.
They started with producing wear for yoga, swimming, running and other sports inclined wear.
Their products are also great and comfortable to style casually. Soon, what was a single store expanded to over 40 stores in the UK and a few in the US with both British and US online stores in 2016.
In 2001, the Sports Industries Federation named Sweaty Betty the “sports retailer of the year.
In addition, the brand got the award for Healthiest employees by the Vitality Health Insurances’ Britain’s Healthiest Workplace Awards in 2015.
In August 2021, Wolverine Worldwide, an American apparel manufacturer purchased the brand for £300m.
Today, the brand has expanded to about 65 boutiques and departmental store concessions in the UK and US. They also have boutiques and store concessions in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, and Ireland.
They focus primarily on women’s activewear and casual wear for all body shapes and sizes. They also sell sports equipment and other fashion accessories.
History Of Lorna Jane
Lorna Jane is an Australian retail brand that produces women’s activewear. The founder, Lorna Jane was a dental technician and part-time aerobics instructor who started designing her workout wear in the late 80s. Soon, she took that as her full-time occupation.
In 1990, she and her husband opened their first store in Brisbane, Australia. In 2000, they acquired a larger factory.
The company’s products ranged from sportswear and also maternity wear to babies and children’s clothes.
The Lorna Jane brand continued to expand and in 2010, CHAMP ventures acquired a 40% stake in the company.
In addition, the company kicked off a charity program in 2011. Also, in 2012 the brand opened the first store in the US which birthed many others.
In the same year, Lorna Jane launched her fitness tracking app. The company has won several awards in design and marketing categories. Also, they won the Marie Claire Reader’s Choice award for Best Athleisure brand in 2017.
However, in 2020, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission fined the brand $5 million for misleading the public about its Lorna Jane Shield collection. It claimed the collection has protection against Covid 19 and other viruses.
Today, Lorna Jane has over 134 stores in Australia, the US, Singapore, and New Zealand and continues to provide quality active and athleisure wear for women.
Comparisons Between Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane
| Features | Sweaty Betty | Lorna Jane |
| Fashion Items | Women’s athletic and fashion wear with accessories | Women’s athletic and fashion wear with accessories |
| Luxury | A luxury brand | A luxury brand |
| Brands Popularity | Very popular. More popular than Lorna Jane | Very popular |
| Management | Founded by Tamara and Hill-Norton. The CEO is Julius Straus. Has a good management team across several departments and stores | Founded by Lorna Jane. Chief Operations Officer is Anna Christadyl. They also have good management across several departments and stores |
| Culture | Give support to their members and also promotes sustainable fashion and Charity | They name every garment after each employee. A good supporter of sustainable fashion and charity |
| Style | Athletic and fashionable wear | Sporty design mixed with urban and runway lifestyle |
| Work Environment | A very good working environment | Fair working environment |
| Quality | Excellent quality | Good quality |
Fashion Items
Sweaty Betty is strictly a woman’s brand. They produce, market, and sell women’s athletic and lifestyle wear. Their products target younger women of different sizes and shapes.
They also produce and market sports equipment. The Sweaty Betty athletic products are good for many sporting activities including running, yoga, swimming, and what you can think of. Their products include the following:
- Leggings
- Yoga pants
- Shorts
- Tops
- Vest tops
- T-shirts
- Knitwears
- Jumpers and hoodies
- Coats and Jackets
- Swimsuits
- Underwear
- Sports bra
- Sports socks
- Sports pants
- Jumpsuits
- Dresses
- Accessories
- Hats
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Bags
- Fitness equipment
- Yoga mat
- Shoes
Lorna Jane brand is also a woman activewear brand, producing and marketing products for active women.
Their different collections include maternity and nursing wear, travel and lifestyle, running, yoga, tennis, and many others. Their products include:
- Leggings
- Sports bra
- Shorts
- Hoodies
- T-shirts
- Tank tops
- Sweats
- Dresses
- Gym accessories
- Caps
- Gym towels
- Water bottles
- Shoes
- Maternity and nursing clothes
Luxury
The Sweaty Betty brand is considered a luxury brand because its products are on the high end. Their leggings sell for $80 and above and their sports bras for about $40.
This brand competes with other luxury brands like Lululemon and the likes. Their quality products make up for the prices that’s why people are always on the buy. Also, they offer discounts on their products.
The Lorna Jane is also a luxury brand with the biggest competition from Hanesbrands, Max Mara, and Zoots sports.
Their leggings go as high as $130, they’ve shorts for $80 and sports bras for $75. This brand is definitely a luxury brand as its products are very expensive. Lorna Jane also offers a lot of discounts on their products.
Brand’s Popularity
Sweaty Betty is a very popular brand, especially in the UK. They are well known in the sporting industry.
American manufacturer, Wolverine Worldwide purchased the brand in 2021 and this boosted its popularity in the US also. Also, they’ve stores in other parts of the world. In addition, they’ve got a good online presence with 650 thousand followers on Instagram.
The Lorna Jane brand is also very popular, well known for the heart beads they sow into every garment they produce.
They’ve stores beyond Australia, with a very strong presence in the US. In addition, they’ve got a strong online presence with 1 million followers alone.
Both brands are very popular, but Sweaty Betty is more popular than Lorna Jane.
Management
The Sweaty Betty brand was founded by Tamara and Hill-Norton. This brand has good management with a good number of employees.
The management team includes Julia Straus as CEO and managing director, Simon Pakenham-Welsh as Chief Technology Officer, and Calypso Barnum-Bobb as Buyer.
They’ve different teams which oversee the affairs of the company and these include: Products, Marketing, Operations and Logistics, E-commerce, and Finance.
Lorna Jane was founded by Lorna Jane. They’ve got a very large number of employees. The management team includes Kristy Acordia as Head of People, Anna Cristaldyl as Chief Operations Officer, and Stephanie Roussos as Director of Retail.
They’ve several departments that oversee the affairs of the brand which include: Sales, Marketing, Finance, and HR departments.
Culture
Sweaty Betty prides itself on building a comfortable life professionally and personally for its employees and customers.
From time to time, they organize free classes, team awards, product discounts, and many more. They also engage in Charity.
In addition, Sweaty Betty is known for their contribution to sustainable fashion. They create most of their products from recycled materials to eliminate waste from the environment.
The Lorna Jane brand is also a good supporter of sustainable fashion. They produce a good number of their products from recycled materials to reduce waste and pollution of the environment.
Lorna Jane is known for naming their garments after their employees. They also support charity programs and engage in a lot of support to communities such as Earth day, tree reforestation, fit Friday, and many more.
Style
Sweaty Betty is a sportswear brand and so many of its products are styled for athletic purposes. Also, it’s a good promoter of athleisure. Many of its products can double as workout and streetwear.
The Sweaty Betty leggings are one of its biggest products with flattering style and comfort. The leggings provide a nice fitting that hugs the shape in the right places.
Lorna Jane is also a sportswear brand. It produces stylish wear for workouts that are also comfortable to lounge in.
Each fashion piece combines current fashion trends, urban lifestyle, and runway-inspired style with a sporty construction. Each product creates a balance that every woman loves.
Work Environment
Sweaty Betty boasts of a wonderful working environment where staff and customers are given good treatment.
The management organizes awards for team members twice a year to encourage them. Many of its employees and customers are satisfied with the management and work environment.
Lorna Jane also has a good working environment. Many of the employees say the environment is fun and yet professional.
They boast of good leadership and cooperation which has been exceptionally useful in their success during the lockdown.
However, some employees seem to disagree with this. Also, some customers have laid complaints about the working relationship.
Both brands have their good and bad sides. But, Sweaty Betty has a better working environment than Lorna Jane.
Quality
Sweaty Betty products are made with excellent quality. Its leggings are 4-way stretch fabric, moisture-wicking, and squat-proof tested.
Many products from Sweaty Betty have good reviews for their durability and the excellent comfort and support they provide.
Lorna Jane makes use of its trademark fabric LJ Excel™ for many of its products. This fabric is a 4-way stretch, boasts excellent quality, and is very comfortable.
The brand also sources recycled and sustainable materials for its products. Its design philosophy is based on quality rather than quantity.
In addition, it focuses on producing better quality products that promote better living in the environment. However, its clothing comes in Australian sizes and they tend to run small.
Both Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane boast good quality products that satisfy most of their customers. However, Sweaty Betty has better quality than Lorna Jane as agreed by most reviewers. Their products are said to last longer.
Conclusion
Sweaty Betty and Lorna Jane are both great Athleisure brands for women. They offer a good range of quality products that have buyers from near and far. They are both supporters of sustainable fashion and charity.
However, I feel Sweaty Betty is a better brand. They offer better quality and though they’re a leisure brand, their prices are less than Lorna Jane. But, it’s your choice to go for whatever is appealing to you and there’s no harm in having products from each brand.
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