Free People is a retail company that sells apparel, shoes, swimsuits, intimates, and accessories. On top of that, they also have a beauty and wellness line that includes cosmetics, oral care, and skincare products. In Canada, their products can be found in various independent shops in addition to their free-standing boutiques.

More About the Free People Movement 

Free People was founded in 1984 by Richard Hayne. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that the first boutique opened in New Jersey. Since then, they’ve expanded to the point where they have more than 130 locations across the U.S. and Canada. They even have their own app, which allows individuals to shop and upload their own photos wearing their products.

More About The Company

The brand sells a variety of clothing for women. Aside from tops, you can also get dresses, sweaters, pants, shorts, jumpsuits, and activewear. In addition to that, they also offer denim products from jeans to jackets.

As far as price goes, they’re mid-ranged. Take their activewear, for instance—a pair of leggings will cost you between $80 to $130. In terms of their jackets, you can expect to pay at least $120. Fortunately, for those who’re on a budget, they do offer discounts. In fact, they have a sales section on their site, which might be worth a look!

Taking Care of FP Activewear Clothing

Their activewear is durable; it’s what you’d expect from something that’s designed for working out. Made from synthetic fabrics, they’re resistant to abrasion and wear and tear. If you wear them often enough, however, it will start to wear out. After all, there’s no such thing as a shirt that lasts forever.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can extend their longevity. Put it simply, you want to take care of them. That means don’t leave them in your gym bag and wash them when they need to be washed! Why is this important? You don’t want to sweat to hang around on the fabric as that’ll deteriorate them over time. Not to mention there’s the issue of smell. Yes, they will start to get stinky after a while and yes, you will notice it.

Don’t just throw them in blindly into the wash, however. You want to be careful about how you wash them—one wrong setting is all it takes to ruin the item! When in doubt, flip the garment over and take a look at the care tag label. It’ll let you know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do.

Materials Used by FP Activewear

Here are some fabrics that they use for their sports clothing. Why is this important? Each fabric has different properties, which can change the washing instructions!

Nylon

Nylon is a synthetic material that was originally created as a silk substitute. Smooth and lightweight, it’s often used for various types of clothing—including activewear. Not only is it resistant to water, but it’s also resistant to abrasion. In other words, you won’t have to worry about the fabric tearing while you’re working out! What’s more, is that it won’t retain body odors or oil stains due to its oleophobic nature.

FB uses nylon for their sports bras, jumpsuits, jackets, and more.

Spandex

Spandex, also known as Lycra or Elastane, is a fiber that was invented in the late 1930s. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that people started to use it in fabrics. Made of polyurethane, the material is super stretchy. That is, you can easily stretch it up to 5x its original length. It’s also resistant to sweat, abrasion, and oils. To top it off, it’s lightweight.

Unlike other materials, though, it’s rarely used in clothing by itself. Instead, it’s combined with other fibers such as cotton, nylon, or polyester.

FP uses spandex for their sports bras, leggings, shorts, and more.

Polyester

Polyester is perhaps one of the most common materials used for activewear. For one thing, it’s durable—much more so than traditional fabrics. It’s also lightweight, durable, and quick drying. Not to mention that it has a moisture-wicking finish. While it can be used by itself, it’s sometimes mixed with other fibers such as nylon and cotton.

FP uses polyester for their leggings, jackets, jumpsuits, bras, and more

How to Wash FP Activewear Leggings and Tights

The brand offers a variety of workout leggings, which can be worn for workouts or casual purposes. Given how close-fitting they are, you’ll want to wash them regularly to avoid sweat from building up.

Washing FP Leggings and Tights With the Machine

Before you start, it’s important that you turn the leggings and tights inside out. One; that will prevent the pattern and design. Two; it’ll make the bottoms easier to wash as the sweat, dirt, and oils will be exposed to the soap. Once you’ve done that, put them in a laundry bag. The mesh material will protect them against your other clothes should you choose to wash them with other items.

Note: You can wash FP leggings and tights with other activewear such as shirts, shorts, and base layers as long as you separate the loads based on color. That is, darks should always be washed with darks and lights should always be washed with lights.

Open the lid of the machine and put your leggings in. Next, grab your ACTIVE detergent and add one scoop of the powder into the drum (or detergent drawer). Set the washing machine to “delicate” or “gentle” and let it run. Always use cold water as heat tends to warp and damage fabrics.

Pro-tip: Avoid using fabric softeners at all costs. They may soften your FP leggings, but they’ll also coat them with a waxy substance that will trap sweat in. White vinegar is a suitable alternative.

Remove the laundry bags once the washing machine is finished with the cycle. Take the leggings out and dry them naturally on a clothesline. Avoid the urge to put them in the clothes dryer as that’ll cause harm to the fabrics (yes, even on the lowest setting).

Handwashing FP Leggings and Tights 

Fill a large sink half-full with warm water (not hot). Mix in a scoop of ACTIVE detergent and combine until you’ve got a sudsy solution. Submerge your FP leggings and make sure that all of the fabric is saturated. To do that, you may want to give it a few swishes.

Leave it to soak for at least 30 minutes. From there, agitate the leggings lightly with your hand. That should help to get rid of any loose grit or dirt that’s on the fabric. Once it’s good to go, rinse it with water. Press down on the leggings with your hand a few times to get rid of the embedded soap. Double-check that there’s no detergent left and transfer it onto a clean countertop.

Absorb the excess water by rolling the leggings in a towel. Blotting works as well. In any case, you want to get it dry enough so that it’s no longer dripping. Then you can put it on a clothesline or drying rack so that it can air dry. We mentioned this already but we’ll mention it again—never use the clothes dryer. Similarly, you do not want to place it under direct sunlight.

Note: You can wash FP Activewear tops the same way. In fact, you can even wash them together with their tights (as long as they fall into the same color category)

Washing Instructions for Free People Activewear Sports Bras

Washing sports bras require a bit of extra care as they tend to be more delicate than other garments.

Putting FB Activewear Sports Bras in the Washing Machine

With sports bras, you always want to protect them by placing them in a lingerie bag. You don’t want to risk them getting stretched during the wash cycle—that’ll ruin the elastic, which means that you won’t be able to wear them properly. If you don’t have a lingerie bag, you can make do with a pillowcase. However, it’s highly recommended that you invest in a set, especially if you work out regularly.

For those who’re curious, yes, you can wash FP sports bras with other clothes. That is, as long as you sort all the items by color. In other words, make sure that you group light-colored items with light-colored items and dark-colored items with dark-colored items.

Once the sports bras are put into a bag, place them into the machine. Set it to “gentle” or “delicate” and proceed with a cold water cycle. Never use hot water. While it might do a better job of cleaning, it’ll also harm the fabric. Next, add the detergent. Generally speaking, one scoop of ACTIVE detergent should be enough unless you’re washing a huge load. Avoid adding fabric conditioners or similar products; they will make it so that your bras won’t be able to pull sweat away from the skin, which is the last thing that you want when you’re working out.

Let the cycle run. Wait for it to finish before opening the lid and removing your sports bras. Carefully take them out of the laundry bags and hang them up. Allow them to air dry for several hours. Never put them in the clothes dryer.

Washing FB Activewear Sports Bras by Hand

Many people also choose to handwash their sports bras. It’s quite simple. Start with a sink or container half-filled with water. Add a scoop of ACTIVE detergent (or less, depending on the items you’re washing) and swish to dissolve the powder. You should get a soapy solution.

Submerge the sports bras into the solution, pushing down gently so that it’s fully immersed. This is important—you won’t be able to clean properly if the fabric is not completely saturated. Let it soak in the soap suds for at least 20 minutes.

Rub the fabric gently with your hand to remove any remaining body oils. Rinse the sports bra with clean water afterward to remove all the ACTIVE detergent. You may want to squeeze it a few times to get rid of all the suds. Transfer the garment onto a countertop once the water runs clear. Blot the excess water with a towel. Never, under any circumstances, should you wring the item.

Hang it on a clothesline and wait for it to air dry. Do not use the clothes dryer.