DEN has joined forces with health and fitness experts Phil (@philjames_pt) and Colin (@rock_biggs) to launch an innovative new line of gym wear.
This collection blends performance-driven design with premium comfort, crafted for those who demand more from their training gear.
The shorts are cut slightly shorter for maximum freedom of movement, enhanced with added stretch and side splits that make deep squats effortless. Tees have been designed with precision tailoring: fitted through the shoulders to highlight an athletic physique, yet relaxed around the waist to ensure all-day comfort.
Every piece is made from premium lightweight fabrics that not only feel good against the skin but also help to keep you dry, reducing the risk of unwanted sweat marks. It’s a collection built to perform as hard as you do —whether you’re lifting, training, or simply living in activewear.
Phil and Colin share exactly what they love about this special collection.
How does having the right gymwear impact your workout?
Phil: For me, it’s all about how the fabric feels and fits. It needs to be loose and flexible. So if I’m doing a squat, for example, I need to feel that stretch on my legs, mainly because I want my legs to feel like they’re growing. But I also want to feel comfortable and there should be no rubbing, you know. Our DEN X Bear Trainer shorts are made from such fantastic fabrics and cut perfectly to allow me to do just that.
Colin: Today I’m wearing the short shorts and I absolutely love them. They are just long enough to be ‘sensible’, but more than short enough to show off enough quad. It can be tough to find shorts that look nice and short but still perform, especially if we want to dosquats or leg day in them, but these are perfect. I love them!
P: It’s made training much more comfortable and moving around so much easier. I love the fabric, I like the way it feels. I like the cuts, the whole design and shape just looks so good! People will instantly recognise, “Oh, that’s the DEN and Bear Trainer collab”, which is so exciting!
For you personally, what’s so special about the collaboration between the Bear Trainer and DEN?
P: We’ve got a lot of shared values. We are both part of the gay community and we’re very passionate about what we do. DEN are passionate about the fashion side of things and I’m passionate about fitness. And to be able to link those two things together in one shared project, it’s fresh and it’s exciting! It’s just important to me to give back to the community. Also, I’ve known Glenn personally for a while now, and as friends, it’s great to have been able to work together as well.
C: The guys who train with us and the guys who wear DEN are pretty similar. So it just made sense to collaborate! We work with a lot of guys who have very active and demanding lifestyles, so we needed to partner with a brand that knows their fabrics, knows their suppliers, knows how to tailor their clothing to fit perfectly — and for us, that was always DEN.
What do you look for in great gym wear?
C: For me, comfort is the most important part of gym wear, but I also want pieces that showcase the results of my training. When I’m working my chest, for example, I like being able to see the definition through my top — it might sound a little vain, but it’s a real motivator. At the same time, lightweight fabrics are essential; they need to feel almost weightless while also preventing visible sweat, which is always a key feature I look for.
What’s your favourite piece from the collection?
C: I would say the racerback vest. We spent a long time working closely with Glenn in perfecting the fit, narrowing the straps in just a little bit, lifting it up a little bit under the arms, and making it so that it shows off the chest and back perfectly on every body! It’s quite a nice little vanity piece, but it’s also just so breathable and practical.
We can work out in it any day. CLICK TO FIND YOUR FIT HERE!
