AKE A LOOK AROUND IN ANY MAJOR CITY AND YOU’LL SEE ONE OF TWO THINGS: AN ABUNDANCE OF COFFEE SHOPS AND MEN WHO ARE EITHER GOING TO OR FROM A GYM OR FITNESS LOCATION. IT’S APPARENT THAT WE CARE MORE ABOUT OUR BODIES THAN EVER BEFORE. ACTIVEWEAR HAS BECOME A HUGE PART OF THE APPAREL LANDSCAPE. BRANDS MORE THAN EVER ARE AIMING AT THIS DEMOGRAPHIC OF STYLE-SAVVY, HEALTH CONSCIOUS MEN WHO WANT TO, AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE, SWITCH FROM THE BOARDROOM TO A BENCH PRESS. IT SEEMS LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE WANTS IN ON THE ACTIVEWEAR BOOM.

ONE OF THESE ACTIVEWEAR COMPANIES THAT KEEPS US DOUBLE-TAKING MAKES ITS WAY FROM DOWN UNDER. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, AUSTRALIAN ACTIVEWEAR BRAND, WPN WEAR, HAS REALLY SET ITSELF APART FROM THE WELL- KNOWN, QUESTIONABLY UNETHICAL BIG-BOX BRANDS IN THE INDUSTRY. FOCUSING ON HIGH QUALITY, ONE OF A KIND MOISTURE WICKING AND ODOR BLOCKING FABRICS, WPN WEAR IS AN ACTIVEWEAR APPAREL BRAND THAT HAS AIMED TO STAND APART FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. YOU CAN LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT THE BRAND HERE, ON OUR PREVIOUS BRAND SPOTLIGHT. TODAY, WE’LL BE REVIEWING SOME OF THEIR 2017 APPAREL AND THOROUGHLY VETTING THE QUALITY, THE FIT AND THE VALUE OF THIS LITTLE KNOWN AUSTRALIAN ACTIVEWEAR BRAND.

NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR WPN WEAR APPAREL AS A WHOLE, BUT WE SPECIFICALLY RECEIVED THE GRADIENT T-SHIRT (GREY), CORETECH COMPRESSION SHORT, HYPE SHORTS (BLACK), ONYX SHORTS (NAVY), X-TEE SHIRT (BLACK/GREY)

---

QUALITY

WPN Wear Kit

First things first, WPN Wear was created by guys who really care. Their stance on ethically sourced, fair paying jobs is just one of the many great things about the brand. Also, they didn’t build their success by following what others did in the activewear space. They wanted to stand out for the right reasons, not just because their gear is produced in the brightest colors. WPN Wear products start with their technology first. They focus on things like odor control, moisture wicking, garment stress-points and especially comfort.

Our first encounter with all of the gear we got our hands on was extremely positive. Nothing felt too flimsy or thin. We know that no one wants to invest too much into clothes that you’re just going to sweat in for a few hours, but hear us out. The type of clothing you wear while working out can drastically affect your training. All of WPN Wear clothing is constructed with quality fabric that doesn’t restrict your movement. An unnatural movement in constricting or cheap workout clothing can cause injury and that’s the last thing you want to worry about when putting on activewear clothing. Another mark of the quality of these garments is the attention to detail. You’ll find that on all WPN Wear shorts, they’ve managed to reinforce all stress points, no matter what sport or activity you’re doing. Also, with the shorts, you’ve got details that some other shorts just don’t offer, such as a hidden pocket for your phone, a 3-way tightening system, and flex zones - areas on the garment that flex a lot more to move with you and not against you. Lastly, it really feels as though these clothes are built to take a beating in your washing machine. We were really impressed before we even tried them on. Our expectations were set high and WPN Wear has delivered.

DESIGN

Some garment details

Design of men’s athletic shorts and compression gear hasn’t changed much in terms of innovation over the last decade or so. The only thing that has changed is the abundance of shoddy advertising campaigns pushed forward by industry giants, most likely produced in China and under less than ideal conditions. That makes us feel dirty.  At Genuine we like options, especially ethical ones. WPN Wear really taken a look at the industry and wanted to fill a void where others weren’t focusing. While their clothing might not be flashy or have the latest superstar athlete to support it, their focus was on the consumer first and foremost and ethical production practices. Knowing the kind of daily use their athletes and competitors put their apparel through, they focused on more important things, such as durability, sweat dispersal, and odor blocking, rather than the flashiest print, or loudest color. From the start, the design of each of their garments was superb. The tops are great quality, very comfortable and not a stray seam to irritate our skin when working out. We particularly loved the softness of their Gradient Tee. Generally, we don’t like wearing cotton-like shirts when we workout, but with WPN Wear’s technology, we’ve discovered something new we can get behind. We love the form fitting element of these tee’s, as well as the general length of them. They really thought about details, like when someone does an overhead press, their shirt tends to bunch up when it should really should keep their stomach covered. As mentioned above, their bottoms were just as superb. They offer reinforced stress points and simple hidden pockets to secure a phone or set of keys while running or working out. From our point of view, the value of their apparel is great. It definitely seems to hold up well and based on the needs of any type of athlete, you can be confident it won’t let you down. Their use of their one of kind technology, “Bac-out”, was a huge selling point to the Genuine crew because we wear our workout clothes so often. The technology states that 99.9 percent of bacteria and order should be masked because it’s woven into the fabric directly. From our first few wears, this seems to hold true. After a few very long and hard 2 hour gym sessions, most of our previous gear would retain a very bad odor under the arms and in the lower butt region. The WPN wear gear did not. We’ll definitely have to give an update after about 25-50 wears, but all early indications point that their technology claims are true.

Onyx Short (Navy) Details

Hype Short (Navy) 3-way fit feature

Now, given the small size of the WPN Wear brand, the next design feature is unique because it’s not generally something you see in a pair of shorts. A simple drawstring is the standard way of holding up a pair loose fitting shorts, but WPN wear has designed their system to not only be secure, but also to protect against any chafing that might occur during your workouts.  It’s a great thing to know that your activewear brand cares so much about your comfort while using their product. Alternatively, their 3 way tightening system, through innovative and unique to their brand, could use a few small improvements to be flawless. The Velcro was a little difficult to fasten and loosen, unlike traditional drawstring shorts. Also, they added a pouch to house the hanging drawstring once tied, but you’ll notice that the string style they chose leaves it extremely susceptible to pulls from the strong Velcro. It’s a shame because the uniqueness of the 3-way fit feature is great and really shines as a branding element on the shorts. Taking a look at the Onyx shorts we received, we noticed a different, tighter weaved nylon drawstring and this style may have helped the Hype work better. This was the only negative thing we noticed about the actual design of the items we received from WPN Wear.

Hype Short fraying drawstring. Small detail but could affect longevity of garment.

FIT

WPN wear isn’t a huge brand. Their clothing isn’t widely distributed in places around the United States. Being an Australia based brand can cause a few issues when it comes to pulling the trigger on buying their gear. We get it. You want assurance that things are going to fit. Luckily, we’re here to tell you that WPN Wear does a great job at not only providing you accurate measurements but you can also contact the owner, Daniel, directly and he’ll help you find the perfect fit. Typically with all activewear, garments have a bit of a stretch to them, so find the size that is closest to your size and feel confident that it’s going to fit well. We tend to like our tops tighter to our body, so we opted for a Small size (pictured). Most guys with any type of large muscle mass should probably stick to medium. Furthermore, with their compression bottoms, make sure to compensate for any gains in muscle mass on the lower portion of your body. We’d recommend for any guy, start at medium and work your way up from there. Any guy with an average butt and “groin” may find it gets cramped in their compression gear. Size up one size. You can find their fit guide HERE.

Gradient T Shirt (Grey) detail. Very form fitting shirt.

PRICE

One of the things that the GMM reader values is a deal. We know you value learning about a new, unheard of brands. You’re here because you’re probably looking for an alternative to something more expensive or just not working for you. We’ll be honest, WPN Wear gear is a bit more expensive than some of the mass-produced apparel in the market and your local stores. Their shorts start at about $69.99 USD and get as high as $79.99 USD. It seems like a lot for just a pair of nylon shorts, but like we stated above, you’re getting tremendous value and technology that most mass market shorts don’t have. Their tops start at around $55.00 USD and reach to about $69.99USD. For the “bac-out” technology alone, these shirts are worth the money. Investing in well-made gear can make working out a lot better for both you and those around you. Just like dress clothing, sometimes you need to bite the bullet and invest for the future. Since these aren’t available in any US locations yet, you’re going to be on the hook for a shipping charge of $20USD. It stinks but again, you get what you pay for.

OVERALL

Gradient T Shirt (Grey) and Onyx Short (Navy)

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the gear from WPN Wear. They’ve gone out and made a socially responsible, innovative, great wearing product that can compete with ANY brand in the space. We understand to some, the price and international shipping may not be ideal, but rest assured that you’re getting more than just some flashy product. You’re getting a high quality garment that was meant to be used day in and day out and was designed to stand the test of time. If you have any reservations, WPN Wear does offer a SALE SECTION, where you can find last year’s garments at a reduced price. If you really want something, check it out. As always, stay tuned. This brands is only going to continue to grow in the activewear community. Speaking with Daniel, there are a lot of new things in the works that will surprise you. Good luck with your training, and keep working hard!

---

TLDR: ONE OF A KIND DESIGN, GREAT VALUE AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY. AUSTRALIAN, SO YOU’RE ON THE HOOK FOR $20 INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.

We want to thank our friend Daniel at WPN Wear. It was because of him this feature was possible. Genuine Men’s Magazine was gifted products but was NOT given any monetary compensation for this article. We wrote this review honestly for the education of our audience in the hope that you’ll both learn from it and make your own purchasing decision based on what you’ve read. Thanks for your viewership!