The Story of the Sweat Bag, by La Pochette Founder, Justine
How it started
Back in 2016, when I was working in London, fitting in a workout was always part of my routine. Some mornings started with a workout before heading to the office. Other days I would slip out at lunchtime for a quick spin session. That hour in the studio, away from emails and deadlines, was my way of pressing reset.
Like most women moving around the city each day, my tote was always full of the usual things - laptop, keys, makeup and all the everyday clutter that gathers when you are running from one place to the next. Having to carry a big gym bag on top of all that was exhausting, so I started looking for something small and light to carry my gym kit but nothing ever felt right. Everything I found was either bulky, too sporty or didn’t feel well made.
A moment of inspiration
One lunchtime in the changing room after a spin class it suddenly clicked. I realised I didn’t actually need a traditional, large gym bag. Studios already provided cleats, towels, hairdryers and all the extras. All I really needed was a simple way to carry a pair of leggings, top, some socks and a few post workout essentials - a compact bag that could fit into my tote.
Could I have used a plastic bag? Yes. Did I want to? Absolutely not. They look cheap, they rustle, they split at the worst possible moment, and they come with a heavy environmental cost. Unlike the supermarket style replacements for plastic bags, which are just sturdier versions of the same thing, I needed something entirely different. I made a list - it had to be washable, antibacterial, designed to deal properly with sweaty kit and made to last.
When I searched for a better option, the only practical choice I could find was a nappy bag. Functional perhaps, but not something I wanted to pull out in a board meeting! Why couldn’t it be beautiful and fit into my life in the same way as the tote bag or purse I’d chosen.
Turning my idea into reality
I decided to create something myself. I didn't want a generic black bag that disappeared into the background. Working for fashion and lifestyle brands, colour mattered to me. I wanted something I would be happy to pull out of my tote, whether I was heading into a meeting, a restaurant or into a changing room.
It needed to tick off all the points on the list I'd made - washable, antibacterial, designed to store sweaty kit properly, built to last - and because the idea was to replace single use plastic in changing rooms, it made sense for it to be made from recycled plastic.
Over the next two years there were many samples, many tweaks and many small decisions about the size, shape and colour. Slowly my idea became a real product which I could hold in my hands and the Sweat Bag was born.
Introducing the world to the Sweat Bag
When we launched, I imagined we would speak mostly to women but within weeks we realised that half of our customers were men. They got it immediately - a compact bag they could slip into their backpack without the need to carry a second bag, or an option to use to keep sweaty kit separate inside their gym bag. No fuss, no extra weigh, just a simple solution to a very familiar problem.
That is how the Sweat Bag began. From that moment in the changing room to a real product (which is consistently highly reviewed) that makes everyday movement easier to fit into real life.
