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Six Activewear Brands With Ties to the Bay Area

By Robyn Hagan Cain

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  • Looking for athletic apparel that's not Lulu or Nike? These brands have ties to the Bay Area. Photo via Akrovita
  • When Scott Kerslake started Athleta in 1998, athletic apparel for women was merely an afterthought to the booming men's performance apparel industry. Today, it's a wildly lucrative market. The Petaluma-based company branched out from web and
  • Akrovita designers Virginia Fabricius and Krista Wardell met while studying at Parsons and bonded over a shared love of aerial acrobatics. Now based in San Francisco, their inaugural collection includes sports bras, shorts, and leggin
  • We first noticed DDCC (which stands for Dirty Diana's Clean Clothes) when designer Diana Mitchell was selected as a Fashion Incubator of San Francisco designer in residence. Mitchell is an amateur yogi and half-marathon runner who engineers
  • Before FAM brands acquired the company in 2013, Zobha was the tiny yoga and pilates-wear company across the bridge. Jamie Hanna started the company in Mill Valley in 2008, and Zobha has been a fitness standout for years because it offers mat
  • Lucy may have been born in Portland, Ore., but the brand now calls Alameda home. Founded in 1999, Lucy focuses on apparel for yoga, training, and running. The company's goal
  • You probably know The North Face for its outdoors apparel and backpacks, but the brand makes more than just skiing and hiking gear. This Alameda-based company —it shares its headquarters with Lucy— also sells yoga, running, and training


Starting a new workout routine is more fun when you have cute new clothes to wear to the gym, and there's no shortage of stores in San Francisco where you can buy gear. If you're looking for pieces that have ties to the Bay Area, your options are slightly more limited. We've found six companies with Bay Area connections that will outfit you for your fitness goals. And if you can't find what you need from these local options, you can always turn back to Lulu, Nike, Adidas, Lorna Jane... you get the idea.

· The Corte Madera Athleta Is Way Bigger Than Your Apartment [Racked]
· Can Akrovita Convince You to Wear Activewear All Day? [Racked]