Best Luxury Activewear Brands That Embrace the Old Money Aesthetic

In a market saturated with trendy, logo-heavy athletic wear, a refined movement has emerged—luxury activewear that embodies the understated elegance of old money style. These premium brands prioritize quality materials, meticulous craftsmanship, and timeless design over flashy logos and seasonal trends. At HAUTE, we celebrate this approach to active fashion—one that seamlessly transitions from trail to town, studio to street, with quiet sophistication.

Essential Set in Dolomite Glow

What Defines the Old Money Aesthetic in Activewear?

Before exploring specific brands, let's establish what characterizes the old money aesthetic in the context of activewear:

• Understated Elegance: Minimal branding and clean, refined silhouettes

• Exceptional Quality: Superior fabrics and construction designed to last years, not seasons

• Timeless Design: Classic color palettes and enduring styles that transcend trends

• Versatile Functionality: Pieces that transition effortlessly between athletic pursuits and casual settings

• Thoughtful Details: Small touches that elevate the garment without ostentatious display

These elements combine to create activewear that feels simultaneously luxurious and appropriate for both vigorous activity and elegant leisure. The following brands exemplify these principles in their unique approaches to premium activewear.

Top Luxury Activewear Brands with Old Money Appeal

1. Loro Piana

Price Range: $$$$ - $$$$$

Signature Style: Refined athletic-inspired casual wear crafted from the world's finest natural fibers

Originally known for its unparalleled expertise in cashmere and wool, Loro Piana has expanded into the realm of high-performance activewear that maintains the brand's commitment to extraordinary natural materials. Their hiking and outdoor collections feature water-repellent cashmere, technical wool, and storm-resistant fabrics that perform beautifully in outdoor settings while maintaining an air of subtle luxury.

What Sets Them Apart: Loro Piana's activewear represents the pinnacle of fabric innovation with natural fibers. Each piece undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it performs as impressively as it feels against the skin.

2. Brunello Cucinelli

Price Range: $$$$ - $$$$$

Signature Style: Humanistic approach to luxury athletic wear with an emphasis on ethical production

Often called the "king of cashmere," Brunello Cucinelli brings his philosophy of humanistic capitalism to his activewear line. Expect muted tones of ivory, taupe, and navy across athletic-inspired pieces that feature the brand's signature attention to detail—hand-stitched seams, perfectly proportioned silhouettes, and fabrics developed exclusively for the house.

What Sets Them Apart: Beyond the exceptional quality, Cucinelli's commitment to ethical manufacturing and fair wages infuses each garment with a sense of conscious luxury that resonates with today's discerning consumer.

3. Orlebar Brown

Price Range: $$$ - $$$$

Signature Style: Tailored approach to activewear with a distinctively British sensibility

While best known for reinventing the swim short as a tailored garment, Orlebar Brown has expanded into activewear that brings the same meticulous attention to fit and form. Their running and tennis collections maintain a tailored sensibility rarely found in performance wear, creating pieces that feel appropriate for both vigorous exercise and casual social settings.

What Sets Them Apart: Orlebar Brown's activewear features tailoring techniques more commonly found in formal menswear, resulting in athletic pieces with exceptional structure and fit.

4. Aeance

Price Range: $$$ - $$$$

Signature Style: Minimalist, architectural designs with cutting-edge sustainable materials

Founded on principles of reduction and refinement, Aeance collaborates with renowned designers to create activewear collections that embody modernist principles. Their pieces feature clean lines, innovative sustainable textiles, and a muted color palette that speaks to the understated confidence of old money style while incorporating contemporary environmental consciousness.

What Sets Them Apart: Aeance's commitment to both environmental sustainability and minimalist design creates activewear that feels consciously modern yet timelessly elegant.

5. Lululemon Lab

Price Range: $$ - $$$

Signature Style: Elevated, experimental designs built on the technical expertise of the main line

While standard Lululemon doesn't typically align with old money aesthetics, their limited-edition Lab collection takes a more refined approach. These pieces feature architectural silhouettes, sophisticated colorways, and innovative technical fabrics without visible branding—creating performance wear that feels distinctly elevated.

What Sets Them Apart: Lululemon Lab combines the brand's technical expertise with elevated design sensibilities, resulting in pieces that perform exceptionally while maintaining a subtly luxurious aesthetic.

6. Moncler Grenoble

Price Range: $$$$ - $$$$$

Signature Style: Technical alpine sportswear with sophisticated European sensibility

Moncler's performance-focused Grenoble line offers technical excellence for mountain sports with the refined aesthetic sensibilities expected from this luxury house. Their ski and hiking collections feature exceptional insulation, moisture management, and weather protection while maintaining an elegant silhouette and restrained approach to branding.

What Sets Them Apart: Moncler Grenoble achieves the difficult balance of technical performance and sophisticated style, creating mountain sportswear that performs at the highest level while looking distinctly refined.

7. Ermenegildo Zegna

Price Range: $$$$ - $$$$$

Signature Style: Performance-oriented pieces with the house's signature textile expertise

Zegna brings its century-long textile mastery to its activewear offerings, creating performance pieces with exceptional fabrics and construction. Their golf, tennis, and running collections feature technical innovations wrapped in the understated elegance that has defined the brand for generations.

What Sets Them Apart: Zegna's vertical integration—from sheep farms to finished garments—allows for unparalleled quality control and fabric innovation in their activewear pieces.

8. Gyakusou (Nike x Undercover)

Price Range: $$$ - $$$$

Signature Style: Avant-garde running wear with subdued palettes and exceptional functionality

This collaboration between Nike and Japanese designer Jun Takahashi of Undercover reimagines running wear through a more sophisticated lens. The collections feature muted earth tones, innovative pocket systems for runners, and minimal branding—creating technical pieces with a distinctly elevated aesthetic.

What Sets Them Apart: Gyakusou pieces combine Nike's technical expertise with Takahashi's sophisticated design sensibility, resulting in running wear that performs exceptionally while looking distinctly un-athletic.

9. Thom Browne Active

Price Range: $$$$ - $$$$$

Signature Style: Architectural activewear with the designer's signature proportion play and subtle detailing

Thom Browne brings his distinctive aesthetic to performance wear with pieces that feature his signature tailoring details adapted for movement. Expect refined tracksuits, sophisticated tennis whites, and swimming apparel—all featuring the clean lines and distinctive proportions that define the brand.

What Sets Them Apart: Thom Browne's activewear maintains the architectural integrity and proportion play of his main line while incorporating technical elements for genuine performance capabilities.

10. Castore

Price Range: $$$ - $$$$

Signature Style: Performance-focused sportswear with British sensibilities and exceptional materials

Founded by former athletes, Castore creates premium sportswear with a focus on performance enhancement through innovative fabrics and construction. Their tennis, golf, and training collections feature clean designs, subtle branding, and sophisticated colorways that align with old money sensibilities while delivering technical excellence.

What Sets Them Apart: Castore's unique fabric technologies and construction methods create activewear that enhances performance while maintaining an understated aesthetic suitable for the most exclusive clubs and resorts.

Investment Considerations for Luxury Activewear

When investing in premium activewear with old money aesthetics, consider these factors:

Material Quality

Look for natural performance fabrics like merino wool, Sea Island cotton, and technical cashmere blends, along with premium synthetics from mills like Schoeller and Loro Piana's Storm System. These materials perform better and age more gracefully than standard athletic textiles.

Construction Methods

Examine seam construction, stitching density, and reinforcement points. Luxury activewear often features techniques borrowed from tailored clothing—flat-felled seams, bar tacking at stress points, and hand-finished details that enhance both durability and aesthetics.

Design Longevity

Consider whether the piece will look relevant five or ten years from now. Avoid trendy silhouettes, seasonal colorways, and obvious branding in favor of classic proportions and versatile, understated designs.

Versatility

The most valuable luxury activewear pieces transition seamlessly between contexts. A technical knit that works for both hiking and casual dinners or performance trousers appropriate for both golf and travel offer superior value.

Care Requirements

Understand maintenance needs before purchasing. Some high-performance natural fabrics require specific care protocols to maintain their technical properties and appearance over time.

Creating a Curated Luxury Activewear Collection

Rather than accumulating numerous pieces, consider building a thoughtfully curated collection of luxury activewear that serves multiple contexts:

1. Core Performance Layers: Technical base and mid-layers from brands like Aeance or Loro Piana Sport

2. Refined Training Apparel: Sophisticated pieces for yoga, pilates, or gym sessions from Castore or Lululemon Lab

3. Sport-Specific Investments: Premium pieces for your primary activities (tennis, golf, hiking) from specialists in those domains

4. Transitional Pieces: Athletic-inspired garments that bridge workout and daily life from Brunello Cucinelli or Zegna

5. Technical Outerwear: Sophisticated protection from elements from Moncler Grenoble or Loro Piana Storm System

By investing strategically in exceptional pieces from these categories, you create an activewear collection that performs beautifully, ages gracefully, and maintains the understated sophistication characteristic of authentic old money style.

The True Value Proposition

While the initial investment in these brands is undeniably substantial, their true value emerges over time. Unlike conventional activewear that shows wear quickly and responds to seasonal trends, these pieces maintain their relevance, functionality, and aesthetic integrity for years—often proving more economical in the long view while providing a superior experience throughout their extended lifecycle.

In an era of disposable fashion, these luxury activewear brands with old money aesthetics represent a return to values of quality, longevity, and subtle sophistication. They remind us that how we dress for physical pursuits can reflect the same refinement and discernment we bring to other aspects of our lives—an approach to activewear that aligns perfectly with the HAUTE philosophy of elevated everyday living.