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When I was in elementary school, my best friend was Kelli. Kelli's mom and my mom were stay-at-home parents and Kelli and I had birthdays only days apart. We always had creative fun together, and Kelli's house was like a second home for me and I thought her mom was very cool.
Kelli's mom made pirogies and perfect grilled cheeses that were never burned. She made real iced tea, not the powdered Lipton we had at home. All summer long, Kelli's mom wore these terrycloth rompers. They were strapless, with elastic at the top, a drawstring waist, ending in dolphin shorts. I especially remember a yellow one with white trim.
When I was an adult, I wanted to have summer at home style like Kelli's mom. It was sexy and cool but super functional and easy care. But as I became an adult, I realized I'd never have the body where I would feel comfortable and sexy in a strapless terrycloth romper.
Becoming an adult in the 90s, I worried about when to wear pantyhose and when I could go Carrie Bradshaw. What Spanx would suck me in the most without telltale lines on my torso, thighs, or ass, and what bra would lift me to my neck and possibly add some size too. No way could I be a Mrs. Roper or a Golden Girl; I had to either look put together, effortful, and appealing, or college grad effortful effortlessness and appealing.
And then I hit my 40s, survived a pandemic, started going through perimenopause, and saw the reversal of decades of women's rights. I had fewer f*cks to give but still gave a sh*t and found my modern-day version of Kelli's mom's romper: the athletic skort dress. These are dresses from athletic fabric that have built-in shorts and usually a built in bra of some sort.
Now, the athletic skort dress immediately looked like something I could NOT wear. I have big boobs, and I don't like my *ss hanging out. But as the skort dress trend endured, variations came on the scene. Some had a built-in bra; others would cover a bra. A few had longer inseams, zipper fronts, elasticized backs, and other details, making it versatile, convenient, supportive, and curve-friendly.
While these are great golf dresses and tennis dresses, they are also fabulous for lounging, for vacations, for running errands, heading to the gym, and can even double as a swim dress.
The Best Athletic Skort Dresses for Grown Women
I've done a lot of research on skort dresses that are great for us grown-ass women. We're all different people with different bodies and lives; there is no one athletic skort dress for all of us, but below I share the one I have and love and other worthy contenders of your leisure time and hard-earned money. The skort dresses reviewed below:
My Personal Favorite: Old Navy Powersoft Athletic Dress
Old Navy has sold a variation of this athletic skort dress for at least four years. Made from traditional activewear fabric, this dress has built-in shorts underneath with a cargo pocket and built-in bra. Available in XS-4X with petite and tall options.
I own one in a highlighter color, one in lavender, one in dark teal, and one in black; none were purchased the same year. I am a large-busted size 14/16, usually an L/14 at Old Navy. Some of my Powersoft athletic dresses are XL, some are L, and even though I am 5'3″, none of them are petite. And half of them have the straps shortened by my dry cleaner.
The neckline of this athletic dress can cover an everyday bra, but underneath is a shelf bra that does a decent job of separating my breasts from my belly without having them spill out. The back scoops but still covers an everyday bra. I remove the removable cups, but they're there if wanted. The skirt has a subtle a-line from the bust with vents/slits on the sides to increase freedom of movement and coverage when sitting. The shorts don't ride up on me, and the pocket on the leg is big enough for my iPhone Max, a key on a ring, and my AirPods case.
For more of a dress effect, I size up with this athletic skort dress, and I choose tall. Then my dry cleaner or tailor opens the seam on each shoulder and shortens the straps to the right torso fit. This ensures my bra and my rear and upper thighs are covered. For more of an athletic effect, I go with my regular Old Navy size and go with regular (which covers the rear) or long (gives another inch) and have the tailor shorten the straps so my favorite demi t-shirt bra is fully covered.
These dresses are favorites for travel (see in my summer capsule wardrobe) have gone in pools and oceans, commercial washers and dryers, been dried on balconies and clotheslines and gotten musty in beach bags and neglected washing machines. And they still look and fit the same. Each year it comes in black but then a handful of other seasonal colors. It retails for around $55 but is almost always on sale for $35 or less.
Best Plus Size Athletic Skort Dress: HDE Plus Size Workout Dress with Built-in Shorts & Bra
Built-in soft cup bra, silicone-trimmed shorts to stay in place, adjustable wide straps, pocket, and flared silhouette makes this highly-rated plus size skort dress a winner in sizes 16-28. Available at Amazon, the price may change but I usually see this skort dress retail for less than $45 with free returns.
Available in several solid colors and a few prints, reviews are generally positive with a few folks wishing for a bit more bust support (a common issue with these types of dresses) and that the fabric is similar to swimsuit material (also common with these dresses). But in general, folks like the fit, the style, and the fun range of colors of this plus-size athletic skort dress.
The Best Size-Inclusive Active Skort Dress for When Nature Calls: Halara Easy-Peezy
I must admit, the most frustrating aspect of these skort dresses is the need to strip down when using the bathroom. This active skort dress from Halara has the shorts only attach in front so you can easily slip them down when necessary. With a removable shelf bra and sizes XS-3X; this dress also comes in two lengths.
I personally found this skort dress not supportive enough for my large bust and as a petite person, wished the straps were adjustable. However, I liked the fabric, the color choices (20 colors at last count), and the budget-friendly price (under $40).
The Best High-Neck Active Skort Dress for when Nature Calls: Spanx Get Moving Zip Front Dress
One of the best active skort dresses with a high neckline, this Spanx active skort dress also has undershorts that are attached in front but elasticized in back so you don't have to strip when using the facilities. Available in XS-3X in a range of colors, this zip-front tennis dress also accommodates the sports bra of your choice.
I ordered and found it ran small. I got an XL, and it was too tight and short for comfort. Sizing up to XXL, I found it a good fit for those with small to medium-sized breasts. The zipper front made it easy to get on and off, even on a hot and sweaty day. It would be a good choice for anyone who is nursing or in need of a specialty bra. Retailing for $138, it's not a cheap purchase, but I found the fabric lightly compressive and high quality.
The Best Petite-Friendly Athletic Skort Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch YPB sculptLUX Mini Dress
If you're a grown woman who hasn't shopped Abercrombie & Fitch since LFO sang about the retailer, you may be pleasantly surprised. Offering sizes XXS-3XL and jeans in sizes 23-37, A&F is a popular brand now with teens through those teens' moms and grandmoms for great-fitting denim and activewear like this athletic skort dress.
While this dress isn't technically available in petite, it is very petite friendly with adjustable straps and reviews that state it runs a bit short both in length and torso. And while reviews state it's petite friendly it also says it's a great fit, great quality, great colors, and all in all a great buy. Retailing for $80, A&F often has sales where you can get it 20% off and more.
Best Tall Friendly Skort Dress: FLX Affirmation Crossback Dress with Built-In Shorts
A lot of tall and long length skort dresses come with delicate little straps and get reviews for being very narrow, small in the bust, and still too short in the torso. This skort dress from FLX, available at Kohl's gets great reviews for comfort, fit, and for being truly tall-friendly.
Available in four colors, this dress comes in XS/2-XXL/20 in petite, regular, and long options. From moisture-wicking fabric, this dress doesn't have a built-in bra, but is lined and reviewers say it gives good coverage and can look nice with an X-back sports bra. Regularly $49.99, this athletic dress is often on sale 20% off or more.
Best Truly Athletic Skort Dress: Sweaty Betty Power Pro Racerback Workout Dress
If you're looking for an athletic skort dress that can take you from the court to the track to the gym to the boat to the coffee shop to the yoga studio, look no further than this sturdy supportive workout dress from Sweaty Betty.
Not a ton of color options (actually, only one: black), is specifically for training. With four-way stretch, strategic stitching and layering for support, and moisture-wicking fabric, this dress may look cute but it's up for a serious athletic challenge. Available in sizes XXS-XXL and retails for $148. Sign up for emails and get 20% off your first order!
Honorable Mention Active Skort Dresses
While not my personal favorites, these skort dresses are worth a second look as they may be what you're looking for:
Tips When Shopping for an Athletic Skort Dress
The weirdest thing is if you search for skort dresses, you likely won't find what you're looking for. But if you search athletic dress, tennis dress, golf dress, or pickleball dress with shorts, more often than not you will end up finding athletic skort dresses.
While I focused on athletic dresses with attached shorts for an all-in-one garment, you will find many athletic dresses that either do not come with shorts or offer "liner" shorts that are thinner, sometimes mesh, and made for modesty but not full bike short coverage. It is up to you what you prefer. Athletic dresses without attached shorts are often styles that also benefit from a separate bra for support.
Now I would like to hear from you... do you own an athletic skort dress you love? How about another style of one-and-done athleisure that keeps you comfortable and covered? Share your reviews in the comments, and your suggestion may be exactly what another member of the Wardrobe Oxygen Community is looking for!
