About

Our Story

Tender started with a question I couldn't stop asking.

While navigating my own fertility challenges, I started looking more closely at the things I could control. What I was eating (and what I was eating it out of), what I was using to clean my home, and what I was putting on my body.

Eventually, I looked at my activewear. These were the clothes I was moving, sweating and spending hours in, yet I had never really stopped to consider what they were made from.

Once I did, I couldn't unsee it. Polyester made from petrochemicals and covered in forever chemicals.

I wanted clean activewear made with thoughtfully chosen materials that still delivered on everything I expected from it: performance, comfort and great design.

I couldn't find it. So I created Tender. My hope is that Tender makes it a little easier to feel good about what you put on your body, without asking you to compromise on how you move through your life.

- Lily, Founder

What you wear matters.

Your activewear sits close to your skin through heat, sweat and movement. Yet most conventional activewear is made primarily from synthetic, plastic-based fabrics.

We think that's worth a closer look.

01.

Better materials, by design.

We start with what sits closest to you, choosing natural and plant-derived materials with intention.

Because better activewear starts with what it's made from.

Explore Our Materials

02.

Made to move.
Made to live in.

Built to handle the workout and everything that comes after it. Tender moves with you through hard sessions, long walks, coffee runs and the days that somehow get away from you.

Technically activewear. Practically everything-wear.

03.

Creature of comfort.

Softness, breathability and ease aren't afterthoughts. They're part of the design.

Pieces made to move with you and feel good from the moment you put them on.

No PFAS, Ever

GOTS Certified

Cradle To Cradle™ Gold Certified

Made In Portugal by Women-Owned B Corps

Why Tender

A cleaner approach to activewear.

For us, cleaner starts with the fabric.

Tender chooses natural and plant-derived materials with greater intention, considering what sits close to your skin from the very first fiber.

Thoughtfully chosen materials. Considered design. Nothing added just for the sake of it. Because feeling good in your activewear starts with feeling good about what's in it.

Explore Our Materials

Don't just take our word for it

The research is evolving. We're paying attention. Explore what we're learning about synthetic fabrics, microplastics and the materials we wear

What to know about forever chemicals in workout wear

A look at the Texas investigation into a major activewear brand, and how concerned shoppers should actually be about PFAS in their own closets.

Read the article

Do your workout clothes contain endocrine disrupting microplastics?

Five experts in environmental health, plastic toxicity, and bioengineering weigh in on why synthetic activewear is the world's largest source of primary microplastics.

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Texas AG probes a major activewear brand over alleged forever chemicals

Reporting on the civil investigation into whether an activewear giant misled consumers about the presence of PFAS, including the company's on record denial.

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Is TENCEL an ethical, sustainable fabric?

A close look at how TENCEL lyocell is actually made, including its closed loop solvent process and sustainably sourced wood pulp.

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Thread carefully: your gym clothes could be leaching toxic chemicals

Reporting on the University of Birmingham research behind one of the stats above, on how sweat helps chemicals in synthetic fabric absorb through skin.

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Forever chemicals are still turning up in clothing worldwide

Independent testing across dozens of clothing samples found banned PFAS compounds still present at meaningful rates, with particular concern for children's garments.

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What a Texas investigation into activewear reveals about the industry

Regulators have opened a formal inquiry into whether a major activewear brand's products contain PFAS, despite the brand's denial. The case points to a wider gap between what fashion brands promise and what independent testing finds.

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Forever chemical levels are dropping where lawmakers have acted

Independent testing found PFAS levels in textiles sold in California and New York fell sharply after both states restricted the chemicals, evidence that change is possible once it's required rather than optional.

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The problem of forever chemicals and waterproof clothing

An investigation into how outdoor and activewear brands are actually progressing on PFAS phase outs, and which companies are still lagging behind their own public commitments.

Read the article

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "nontoxic" mean to you?

It means we choose every fiber and finish for what it leaves out. Our fabrics are built on plant-based fibers rather than a plastic base. We don't add PFAS-based finishes, and our stretch fiber holds a Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Gold certificate, which assesses its chemical ingredients.

Why not just use recycled polyester?

Recycled polyester is still polyester. It keeps plastic out of landfill for a while, but it still sits against your skin and still sheds microfibers–often more than virgin polyester–during wears and washes. We wanted to change the material itself.

What are your fabrics made of?

We make two fabrics. Our Microtencel fabric is 88% micro lyocell, a soft fiber made from wood pulp, and 12% nontoxic elastane alternative. Our cotton fabric is 88% organic cotton and 12% nontoxic elastane alternative. We've gone a step farther, than even many nontoxic cotton lounge- or yoga-wear brands in the avoidance of standard elastane. Ours is a Japanese elastane engineered specifically to fix what's wrong with conventional spandex: it holds a Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Certificate at the Gold level, a full assessment of every chemical ingredient in the fiber, and it's built to break down at end of life without releasing harmful substances into the environment.

Each product page lists its exact composition, touch, feel and best use cases. We're so excited for you to feel them–and more importantly, to feel everything in them.

Why is there any elastane at all?

Activewear needs to stretch and recover, or it bags out after a few wears. No plant fiber does that on its own yet. But we use a small amount of innovative stretch fiber chosen for its chemistry, sustainability, and most importantly–groundbreaking safety for the wearer: it holds a Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Gold certificate.

Where are your pieces made?

In beautiful Portugal. Our fabrics are knitted and dyed at a mill in northern Portugal, and every piece is cut and sewn at a factory nearby. We've visited both and work with the same teams on every run. Our fabric mill and our manufacturer are both women-owned, B corps. This is important to us. Our products don't come cheap, but they also don't come at the expense of anyone's wellbeing. Instead, they're preserving healthy livelihoods and empowering women around the world.