Modest activewear: why global brands keep getting it wrong

The global modest fashion market is booming, but activewear is still playing catch-up. Major brands are paying attention, yet too many Muslim women are left hunting for sportswear that actually performs and covers.

The 2024/2025 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report makes it clear. Modest sport-specific apparel that meets sporting codes is an urgent need, yet Muslim women have been sidelined from amateur and professional competitions simply because no one made gear that covers and complies with safety rules. Now, with modest sportswear brands rising globally, the opportunity is wide open to develop kit that delivers on both modesty and safety.

Smaller brands are leveling the playing field, making sports more inclusive for women.

Understanding, Not Just Following Trends

Experts said big brands missed the entire modest market simply because they had no clue what Muslim women actually wanted.

According to Adidharma Sudradjat, founder of Noore, the problem is clear. Big brands roll out modest collections because they have to, not because they get it. They miss the deep cultural and personal ties to modest activewear entirely.

The idea for Noore came from frustration. In 2015, Sudradjat’s wife chose to wear the hijab and then discovered the ugly truth that no one made modest activewear that actually worked.

“I watched my wife hunt for sportswear that actually performed and respected her modesty. That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t a small problem, but it was broken by design,” he said.

The State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2024/25 puts it in black and white, revealing Muslim consumer spending on apparel and footwear hit $327 billion in 2023, marking a 3 percent increase from the previous year, and is projected to rise to $433 billion by 2028, making the modest fashion industry a powerhouse, not just an opportunity.

The father of two said brands consistently fail to truly understand the market because Muslim women want comfort and style at the same time, demanding weather-appropriate materials and a real grasp of what sport they’re actually playing.

“Designing modest activewear isn’t just about the garment. It’s about the whole lifestyle. How a woman moves through different sports at different intensities. How fabric handles sweat, heat, and repeated wear. How coverage stays put during motion. Comfort, modesty and performance have to work together, not fight each other. In doing so, we involve athletes from the start and test everything in real movement, not just in theory. Modesty isn’t a restriction for us, but it’s the starting point of our design,” Sudradjat said, pointing out that at the heart of building a brand that actually fits the market is one simple thing, which is understanding what women truly want.

The gap isn’t just in Indonesia. Lara Fawzy, founder of Lara Active, saw the same problem elsewhere. Brands, she said, often ignore practicality. The result is shapes that all look the same that none of them fit properly.

“Faces come in all shapes and sizes, so a one-size-fits-all hijab is useless for high-intensity training. Brands have to stop talking about ‘penetrating the market’ and start understanding the culture. Even an occasional Eid post on their main social feeds would show they care about the community, not just its wallet,” Fawzy shared.

Lara Active’s customer base spans Muslim expats in Dubai and local Emirati women, with a strong foothold across the GCC – Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. The brand is also gaining ground in the UK, France, and the USA.

“Global brands have never trained in Dubai’s summer heat or figured out how to balance workouts with Ramadan and prayer times. Real users have spent years hacking their own outfits, tying jumpers around waists, layering pieces just to get basic coverage. The giants have the deeper pockets, but niche brands are finally bridging the gap between modesty and cool, technical design,” Fawzy stressed the importance of spotlighting these issues and backing local brands, because those brands didn’t just see a market gap, they lived that reality every single day.

Brands rooted in real experience understand something that designers working from a distance never will, including sweating through Dubai summers, scheduling workouts around prayer times, and piecing together coverage with whatever they could find.

Modest, Not Conservative

More brands are finally waking up and releasing Muslim-friendly activewear lines, but the gaps remain because for many women, modest activewear is no longer just about religious observance; it stands for something bigger, the freedom to dress on their own terms, to feel safe, comfortable, and empowered, regardless of faith.

Sudradjat believes that beyond following trends, the priority is straightforward as keeping women safe and making sure they are seen. “But here’s what I always keep at the heart of the brand. Modest fashion isn’t tied to any one religion. We’re just offering a solution for any woman who chooses to dress modestly in her own way,” he said, adding that making activewear fashionable is just as critical as making customers feel seen.

Modest clothing doesn’t belong to Muslim women alone, as many religions and cultures embrace it too. Beyond faith, modest activewear has evolved into something far bigger. It’s comfortable, tough enough for an active life, versatile from morning to night, and built to make women feel visible every step of the way.

“Modest fashion and Muslim fashion are now treated as the same thing, but that doesn’t mean a long gamis or syar’i clothing works for sports. That being said, modest activewear is the real answer, finally filling that gap and meeting the actual need.”

Franka Soeria, a modest fashion consultant, said the key comes down to function and choice. Modesty looks different across faiths and individuals, some prioritize covering their hair, others want arms and legs covered, and some just seek sun protection or simply wish to avoid unwanted attention.

“Plenty of women, religious or not, just want gear that blocks the sun and doesn’t restrict their movement. And honestly, a lot of non-religious women are turning to modest wear because they actually feel more comfortable, more confident, and more focused when they’re fully covered during a workout. That’s a personal choice, plain and simple,” Soeria noted, adding that religious identity shouldn’t be reduced to a hemline or a sleeve length.

“Brands need to sell it as smart, versatile performance wear for today’s active woman. They need to spotlight the functionality, that premium feel, and how it moves effortlessly from a workout into the rest of your day. Feature all kinds of women too, so this category never gets boxed into a corner. When brands get it right, modest activewear expands real choice instead of limiting it,” she added, highlighting the need to show women as feminine, supportive, and fashion-forward while keeping the look and feel completely on point.

More Than a Brand, a Movement

Awareness stands right alongside the product itself for brands such as Noore and Lara Active, while pricing and market positioning remain the deciding factors in making indie brands both accessible and attractive to a wider audience.

“Indonesia has serious cultural clout, but owning the global conversation is still a work in progress. Here’s what’s changing. Consumers are waking up to local brands, pride in Indonesian design and innovation is growing, and the entire ecosystem, from product to branding, is finally maturing,” he said.

That shift is also playing out through community, as Noore has built a community centered around active sports, which has not only sharpened the brand’s credibility but also connected it with a younger audience in a way that actually means something, with activities ranging from yoga and paddle to many others.

“That’s how you build genuine trust, and on a large scale. When national federations in sports such as taekwondo, pencak silat [martial art], or sport climbing adopt Noore, the message is unmistakable. The product performs at elite level, meets every technical and functional standard, and earns the trust of professionals. That credibility feeds directly into the consumer market. It shortens the buying journey because athletes have already validated the gear,” he said, adding that Noore has been fielded at events including the Asian Games .

Lara Active has also been building communities by launching Muay Gym, the first all-women Muay Thai gym in Dubai , creating a safe space for women, not just Muslim women.

“Because a community brings us together, we can share ideas and feel connected on what can otherwise be a lonely journey, enabling us to set our own modesty standards based on our rules and values, not just accepting what’s given to us, while keeping it funky, stylish, and cool. By sharing our struggles and real-life experiences, we innovate together and turn raw insight into technical gear that proves one thing loud and clear, you never have to sacrifice your faith for your performance. And that’s been tried, tested, and proven,” Fawzy shared.

Modest activewear has stopped being a side note and is now a category defined entirely on its own terms, driven by communities who simply refused to sit back and wait for the big brands to catch on.