ZIYA Activewear – First Impressions

What is ZIYA Activewear?

If you have social media, you’ve probably heard of ZIYA Activewear. They’re an activewear startup based out of Utah that’s been around since 2017. Their claim to fame is their high quality activewear that is comparable to brands you love (like Lululemon) at a lower price point. You can order their stuff online, but more than likely you’ve heard of Ziya from one of their reps. Yes, Ziya has reps that sell their clothing, host parties, and build teams (think Mary Kay, Arbonne, Norwex, etc). Essentially, Ziya uses an MLM strategy to market and grow their business. Personally, I love MLMs – if I can support my friends by purchasing something I would buy from a big box store anyway, why the hell not? More to come on that later…

I had heard of Ziya and had a couple friends who were reps, but I didn’t own anything from them until today. A friend of mine hosted a party and I figured, why not give it a shot? I had heard of the brand and been curious, but was hesitant to buy from a brand I wasn’t familiar with. I must admit, I HATE buying clothes online. I’m horrible at returning things so if I buy online and it doesn’t fit, I’m basically screwed and I just give it away. Terrible, I know. However, if a friend invites me to a party and it’s something I’ll use, I always try to support them. I just think it’s a nice thing to do, and I know that on the RARE occasion that I host a party for something like this, I’d want my friends to do the same.

Is ZIYA Really Comparable?

I have to admit, I was skeptical. I am a Lululemon fiend. I have everything Lulu from sports bras to jackets to workout pants to lounge pants and everything in between. I don’t give a single fuck that it’s expensive because it’s great quality. I almost never buy activewear from any other brand. I wanted to support my friend and her party, but this one was tough for me at first. While ZIYA is cheaper than Lululemon, it’s not cheap by any means (like, hi, $90 joggers, this shit better be nice). I kept seeing the clothing described as ‘buttery’ which gave me heartburn because I had flashbacks to the days of everyone trying to sell me ‘buttery soft leggings’ through Lularoe. Barf. I wanted buttery like Lululemon – soft AF but high quality as well. None of that Lularoe BS that felt like leggings covered in too much fabric softener that ripped after two wears.

Nonetheless, I gave it a shot. I dipped my toe in and ordered three items that I felt were a solid addition to my “athlesiure” wardrobe. I wasn’t quite ready to invest in things to workout in before I had seen the quality, so I went for some cute pieces that I could wear on a casual trip to Target instead. I went for a pair of joggers and a couple cute tanks (pictured below from the ZIYA website).

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My items shipped the day after I ordered and arrived in just a couple days (so nice since I’m used to the instant gratification of Amazon Prime). I was super excited to get these and try them on! After all, it is COVID times and I’m basically wearing nothing but comfy clothes…

ZIYA packaging

Overall I was impressed with the packaging. Everything shipped in one of those plastic mailer envelopes, but when I opened my package everything was individually packaged in these cute little pouches.

I thought the individual packaging was a nice touch. The shirts even came in a little bag with a resealable zipper (like you see on a ziplock), which I thought was cool. I can use these later for packing clothes I want to protect in a suitcase. I also thought it was nice that the pants had a little notice about the packaging being compostable!

ZIYA Fit + Feel

Remember, this is a first impression. I’ve tried my stuff on, but I haven’t spent any significant amount of time in it. I’ll update once I have. That being said, so far I’m impressed! I was surprised how soft the tanks were when I pulled them out. They’re thick in a good way – like they won’t wear holes quickly, and they have a good amount of stretch. I love them for an athleisure look, or even as a layering piece underneath a sweater or button up. They are a teeeeny bit tighter in the waist than I expected for a flowy tank, but I did order an XS. I could easily size up if needed without the shirt feeling like it’s hanging off me like a trash bag.

I also really love the joggers! I opted for these because I feel like they’re very trendy – I see people on Instagram with much better style than me wearing similar pieces causally to the gym and then throwing on wedges and a cute top with them for a concert or night out. I need more things like that because I love being comfy more than I love dressing like an adult. The ones I ordered have beautiful gold detailing on the ties and zippers on the outside of the leg. I don’t know about you, but when I pair black and gold I feel classy/sassy AF.

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It’s kindof hard to describe the material. They’re thicker than leggings but not sweatpants thick. They remind me of the tearaway sweats I had to wear for cheerleading back in the day, but like, better. They’re super stretchy and comfortable, but much nicer looking than throwing on a pair of leggings. The ONLY complaint I have is that they’re a bit long on me (I’m 5’1″). I knew they would be though, and ZIYA does make some of their joggers in a short cut, they just didn’t have my size in stock so I got these instead. Otherwise, they’re exactly what I wanted! I can dress them down and wear them to workout or walk the dog, or I can dress them up with a sweater and booties for a night out with friends. Definitely my favorite of the bunch.

The Final Verdict

All in all, I’d say these were a good purchase. Just based on first impressions, the clothes are comfortable and seem high quality. I’d definitely consider trying some pieces that I’d be more likely to use for working out. Heck, I’ll probably even host a party to get some discounts!!

Have you tried ZIYA? If so, let me know what you think in the comments!