Ardene is a family-owned fashion retailer. Based in Canada, they sell various kinds of clothing, shoes, and accessories. Over the past few years, they’ve also introduced clothing lines such as EIGHTYTWO denim, 82 North outerwear, and MOE activewear.

More About Ardene

Ardene started out as an accessory and jewelry retailer in 1982. Since then, they’ve expanded significantly. Nowadays, they also sell clothing, intimates, footwear, and more.

In Canada alone, the company employs more than 4,500 people. They also have multiple locations in the United States including those in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. Under a licensed partnership, they’ve also opened stores in the Middle East.

What Kind of Activewear Do They Sell?

Ardene offers a wide range of activewear for women. For example, you can get sports bras, tank tops, tees, shorts, hoodies, swimsuits, leggings, and more. They even have their own line of athletic sneakers that you can wear to the gym.

As a fast-fashion retailer, it’s not surprising to know that their prices are low. If anything, that’s what drives most of their sales. Take their leggings, for example, you can easily grab something for about $10. What’s more, is that they’re often discounted to a few dollars—you just have to check back for sales. For those who plan on shopping online, Ardene also offers free shipping over $40.

Caring For Your Ardene Activewear

Let’s face it, their activewear isn’t going to be the highest of quality. After all, you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean that they’ll come apart after a few wears, though. At least, that won’t happen if you take proper care of the items.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a pair of leggings or a tank top, you want to wash the garment as soon as possible after working out. Leave the sweat on the fabric and it will cause it to deteriorate, which isn’t what you want. The way you do your laundry matters as well. The last thing that you want is to stuff everything blindly into the machine. Do that, and there’s a high chance that your activewear will wear out quickly.

Fabrics Used by Ardene

Why’s it important to know what fabrics they use? Because it determines how an item should be washed. Anyway, here a few fabrics that you’ll likely run into with their products.

Polyester

Polyester is a type of polymer. In other words, it’s synthetic. More durable than cotton, it’s often used for activewear such as tops and leggings. Not only is it stronger, but it also has other properties that make it ideal for workouts. For example, it’s able to keep you cool by evaporating sweat. On top of that, it has great elasticity so it’ll always retain its shape after you wash it.

Ardene uses polyester for their leggings, tanks, sports bras, etc.

Elastane

Elastane, as its name implies, is an elastic material that also goes by the name spandex. Manmade, it’s often used in clothing to provide stretch and flexibility and activewear is no exception. Other benefits include the fact that it’s strong, comfortable, and has great tear resistance.

Ardene uses elastane for their leggings, sports bras, swimsuits, etc.

Polyamide

Polyamide is often regarded as nylon, although there are slight differences between the terms. Similar to polyester, it’s made from plastic polymers, which makes it abrasion-resistant and tear-proof. In addition to that, it also has great elasticity.

Ardene uses polyamide for their shorts, jackets, etc.

Rayon

Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber that’s made from cellulose, which is derived from plants such as bamboo and trees. Prized for its silk-like properties, it’s both smooth and soft to the touch. In addition to that, it’s breathable and does not insulate body heat; this makes it a good option for hot and humid weather.

Ardene uses rayon for their leggings, joggers, tights, etc.

Two Ways to Wash Ardene Leggings Properly

Option 1: Wash Them With the Rest of Your Clothes in the Washer

If your leggings have pockets, empty them. Afterward, turn them inside out; that will protect them from being damaged by your other laundry. For an extra layer of protection, place them in a laundry bag. Basically, they’re special bags that will reduce friction among your clothes. In doing so, they’ll be less likely to be damaged during the wash.

Pro-tip: It’s a good idea to pretreat your leggings beforehand if they’re excessively soiled. Basically, all you have to do is dissolve a bit of detergent in water and let it soak.

Once your leggings are in the bag, place them in the washing machine. Load the rest of your clothes (ideally, you want to wash them with other activewear) and add your detergent. We recommend using one scoop of ACTIVE detergent. Avoid conditioners and softeners; they are not meant to be used with these types of clothes. They’ll coat the fabric with a waxy material, which will prevent your sweat from evaporating.

Choose your settings. With these leggings, it’s important that you use cold water, otherwise, the material can become damaged. If you can, you also want to use a gentle cycle to minimize the amount of agitation.

Take the leggings out of the machine after the cycle and let them air dry indoors, in a well-ventilated room. It’s best not to place them outside as the sun’s rays can cause damage to the material. Similarly, you do not want to dry them by putting them in the dryer.

Option 2: Hand Washing Your Leggings in a Basin or Sink

There’s nothing wrong with putting your leggings in the washer but if you want them to last longer, it may be a good idea to wash them by hand every once in a while—it’s much gentler as you won’t be exposing the fabric to as much agitation.

Note: There’s nothing wrong with hand washing multiple items at once. If anything, you just want to make sure that the colors are similar. In other words, don’t miss a pair of black leggings with a white shirt; the dye will likely transfer onto the lighter item.

It’s not as hard as it sounds either. Start by adding tepid water (don’t use hot water) to a basin or sink. Stir in half a scoop of ACTIVE detergent and make sure that it has dissolved completely before putting in your leggings. The entire garment aka all of the fabric should be submerged in the soapy solution. Let it sit in there for at least 20 minutes.

After soaking, swirl the leggings with your hand a couple of times before draining the soapy water. Fill up the basin or sink again with clean water. Rinse the item thoroughly until there’s no more detergent; there should be no soap suds left on the fabric. It also helps to put it under running water.

Press the excess water out of the leggings with your hands. Make sure to do it gently as you don’t want to damage the materials (never wring or twist). Place the leggings on a towel. Roll it up with the garment inside to remove the extra water. Once it’s no longer dripping, you can line dry. Like we said earlier, you don’t want to put your leggings in the dryer; the heat can cause irreversible damage.

Washing Ardene Sports Bras So That They’ll Last

Option 1: Machine Washing Your Ardene Sports Bras

With sports bras, it’s crucial that you put them in a laundry bag before loading them into the machine. The last thing that you want is for them to be thrown around, which will ruin the elastic. Snags can also be a problem, especially if you’re washing them with other items.

Make sure that the laundry bag is properly sealed and place it in the washer. We recommend adding a scoop of ACTIVE detergent; you don’t need to use fabric softeners or anything else. Once everything is in, run a wash cycle with cold water. Never use hot water as the sports bras don’t tend to do that well in heat. If you can, you also want to minimize the agitation by using a delicate setting.

Wait until the washing machine has completed the cold wash cycle before retrieving your sports bra. Ideally, you want to drape them on a rack to air-dry, however, you can also hang them up (try not to hang them by their straps, though). Don’t put them in the dryer.

Option 2: Hand Washing Your Ardene Sports Bras

Their sports bras can be washed by hand, just like their leggings. It may not be a good idea to wash them together, though, if they’re of opposite colors (e.g. black and white). Anyway, start by adding tepid water to a sink or washbasin. Afterward, add half a scoop of ACTIVE detergent—that’s all you need for the bath.

Submerge the sports bras into the water; the entire thing should be saturated. If it isn’t, you may have to push it down gently with your hand. From there, move it through the solution a few times to work in the soap suds. Finally, let it soak in the sink for about 20 minutes (longer is fine).

Rinse the sports bra thoroughly afterward to remove all the detergent. There shouldn’t be any soap film leftover once you’re done. We recommend that you drain the sink and refill it with clean water. It also helps to place it directly under running water. Rinse until the water comes out clear with no suds.

Press out the extra water from the sports bra with your hand. You can then let it air dry. Remember what we said earlier, you never want to put them in the dryer.