The exercise dress is in its own clothing category by this point. You’ve probably seen a host of brands come out with their own version of this, but today I am giving you everything you need to know about the OV Exercise Dress! There’s something special about the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress, and we’re going to get into everything about it today.
What is the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress?
The exercise dress itself is a newer (to me) concept. It lies outside of your general workout top, sports bra, leggings, running short categories we’ve all shopped for years, and therefore I think this piece warrants its own dedicated review post.
Simply put, this is a breathable dress layered over built-in shorts. It’s basically a long workout top, layered over built-in spandex shorts. It’s kind of a full-length skort that connects into a top as well? I might be overthinking it and over-explaining it, but if you’re confused I want to make sure I am describing it fully!
If you were a cheerleader or dancer in high school, this dress silhouette will probably feel familiar to you. Unlike cheer uniforms though, this piece is entirely connected, but the vibes are definitely still there.
Here’s the OV description of the Exercise Dress: Sporty, flattering, functional. Made in our breathable LightSpeed fabric featuring adjustable straps and a built-in shorts liner with two pockets.
The current Outdoor Voices dress on the market is a new and improved version from the original. They took some of the most common complaints from the first OV dress and corrected for the ultimate piece. I have the original version, but after reading some of the improvements they made, I do think they made a big step toward the perfect clothing piece. I know they specifically took out this center seam on the under layer that can sometimes show through and added adjustable straps for a custom length- so wish I had that!
OV Exercise Dress Sizing
How does the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress fit?
Some people like their activewear to fit on the snug side, and some people like their activewear to be a little more breathable, so sizing information here is a little trickier. I am generally a small in loose things and a medium in tighter things, but for this snug dress I went with a small because I like my workout wear to be tighter.
Looking back, I think I could have gone with a medium. While the outer layer is looser and has extra room, the built-in shorts are just a little too snug and the length is a little short for my preference! The newly added adjustable straps really help with the length situation though, so if height is your main hang up for deciding which size to order, I wouldn’t necessarily size up just for length.
I’m also a little less proportionate than is probably standard, so it’s looser up top than it is on the bottom half. That’s just to be expected with a top/bottom combo.
My sizing information if it’s helpful:
OV Size Ordered: Small – a little snug and would love to try the medium
Height: 5’8
Weight: 150 lbs
Bust: 34b
Body specifications- I have broad shoulders, carry more weight in the lower half than top and have a long torso.
Does the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress work for Long Torso?
I have a pretty long torso- like seriously. Sometimes I order “long torso” specific sizes in one piece swimsuits and other things, and it’s still not long enough. The Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress works perfectly for my long torso, I am happy to report! The stretchy material of the under-short set allows it to stretch and mold perfectly to your body.
Is the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress Worth it?
I always struggle with declaring something worth it or not. Money and priorities like this are so subjective and differ greatly from person to person. This dress is right at $100, which is a lot. I personally think it is worth it because the fabric is just unlike any other fabric I have ever felt before. It’s cooling, moisture wicking, you name it, this dress has everything you could want in an exercise piece. It’s also extremely flattering and stylish in my opinion.
There is also a built-in pocket on each side of the built-in shorts, and it fits my iPhone X really well. I did a short run the other day and my phone stayed perfectly in place the entire time, and I didn’t feel like the dress was being tugged or weighed down too much. I have never had an iPhone+ size to test this with, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t fit well. Keys, regular phones and credit cards though? You’re good to go.
Another thing? You can’t really style this dress for the winter months if you live in a less-than tropical climate. I live in East Tennessee, and it’s just too cold here in late fall, winter and early spring to wear this dress. Most of my other workout pieces are good for every season, so I think that aspect can be seen as a factor for not making this worth the price. I get so much use out of it during late spring, summer and early fall, so this doesn’t really bother me! Some people might style this dress with leggings or tights underneath, but that’s never really the look I’m going for if you know what I mean.
Can you wear the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress to workout in?
The cons? Well, you can only really do half of the common workouts in this dress. This is ideal for tennis-type sports, cycling, running, biking, walking, etc. I would not wear this dress really to any kind of group workout class like barre, yoga or pilates. I think you could get away with wearing it for weight lifting at the gym, but I don’t know that it would be ideal.
The Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress is really perfect for walks, bike rides and running errands.
Do you wear a bra with the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress?
Here’s the thing, you totally can wear the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress without a bra. While there are no pads in the dress, it’s tight enough up top to generally suck you in, especially if you have a smaller or medium sized chest like I do.
I find that I like wearing a thicker sports bra with mine though, mainly to give myself a little extra coverage. I personally don’t often show much skin by choice in my daily life, so I like to have that little extra coverage even though the dress provides a lot of support.
How to style the Exercise Dress?
I like to keep it pretty classic and just wear the thicker sports bra underneath, tennis shoes, a hat. There are a few options though, and I keep a reels from @asunnystateofmind saved on my Instagram. She shares three different transitional looks for the Outdoor Voices dress. Generally though, this outfit is strictly sporty.
I think athleisure is here to stay though, especially after 2020 and 2021. It looks really great with a sweatshirt over top or tied around the waist, which is actually my favorite way to style it because I’m always getting chilly when I go into a store or sit in the shade for a bit.
Does the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress Get Restocked Frequently?
The Outdoor Voices website almost constantly lists the Exercise Dress as “almost gone!” In my experience though, restocks are frequent. If your size in the color you like is gone, try adding yourself to the waitlist. You probably won’t have to wait more than a few weeks at most.
The only caveat to waiting for a restock is which color you want your Exercise Dress in.
What Colors does the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress Come in?
The Exercise Dress is generally going to be offered (when not briefly sold out) in black, navy and white. If you click on a color and it is listed as sold out in your size, more than likely that means they will not be restocking it and it was just a limited time run. If your chosen color says “coming soon- join the waitlist!” you should be good to go and the color will be coming back.
Final Pros and Cons of the Exercise Dress?
Pros
- All the sports and activities I shared above that this dress works for are my go-tos during the summer months when I would wear this dress anyways.
- This is the perfect dress for errands. Now that we’re all getting out and about more, I am excited to wear this all Saturday long for leisurely trips into Trader Joe’s, Barnes and Noble and Target.
- It’s pretty tricky to find athleisure that is this flattering. Something about this just sucks you in- I think it’s the almost full-length layer of essentially shape wear built into the under layer.
Cons
- Like with any romper style piece, you have to take this almost completely off when it comes time to go to the restroom. For something that I like to wear all day long for errands and when I’m just out and about, that can get pretty annoying, but there’s no real way to avoid that so it’s not a specific problem for OV.
- I do not have the version with the adjustable straps, and mine is pretty short on my 5’8 frame. I bet the adjustable straps version solves that issue though.
- Unlike most activewear, this is a seasonal piece, and I think options for wearing it in late-fall and winter are very limited. If you live in a warmer climate, you could probably get away with it for longer, but there are entire months-long stretches for most when it’s just not going to work.
Exercise Dress Dupes
The exercise dress dupe from Amazon has many similar features to the Outdoor Voices version. I think this one features separate shorts, which I think would honestly be really nice for bathroom purposes. At less than half the price, I think it’s worth a shot!
There is an Abercrombie and Fitch version that’s a little bit different in the back, but it still has a lot of the same features and comes in sooo many great colors. I love the green and blue!
That is my review of the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress. I love, love this dress, and I think if you give it a try, chances are you will too! It’s a very classic piece that I think will be in style for a long time to come.
Shop the OV Exercise Dress
