Origins of Manly

The history of Womanly Manly Activewear is closely connected to Manly, the company’s original brand.

According to Mega Magazine, Manly was established in 1973 by founder and designer Gobind Sitlani. Sitlani reportedly conceived the business after identifying an opportunity to create locally manufactured activewear during a period when importing such products was difficult. The company initially concentrated on men’s athletic apparel before expanding into sports-support and protective products.

The company subsequently developed a broader range of products intended not only for exercise but also for physical support and injury prevention. Older Philippine lifestyle coverage describes Manly products as being used by fitness enthusiasts and recommended in some cases by orthopaedic doctors, surgeons, and physiotherapists.

The company’s current About page describes Manly as having approximately 50 years of history, while an older company profile identifies the business as founded in 1973. These figures are broadly consistent with the brand’s long-running presence in the Philippine market, although the company’s own historical wording has changed over time.[1]

Creation of Womanly

Womanly was subsequently introduced as the women’s-focused extension of Manly.

According to Mega Magazine, Womanly was developed from an idea originating with Gobind Sitlani’s granddaughter, who proposed creating colourful cycling shorts for women. The women’s line initially focused on ladies’ compression shorts before expanding into a larger collection of women’s activewear and fitness products.

The company’s current About page states that Womanly has been in existence for around six years, although this conflicts somewhat with the 2023 Mega article, which describes the women’s branch as having been launched approximately nine years earlier.[1]

Rather than replacing the original Manly identity, Womanly became part of a broader Manly/Womanly product ecosystem serving both male and female customers.

Womanly Manly Activewear positions itself primarily as a functional activewear and sports-support company rather than exclusively as a fashion-athleisure label.

Its stated product philosophy combines:

• Sports and fitness apparel
• Compression and support products
• Orthopaedic and injury-prevention equipment
• Gym and exercise accessories
• Women’s athleisure
• Men’s activewear
• Products intended for rehabilitation and physical support

The company’s website says its products are studied and customised according to users’ orthopaedic needs, while also following trends and demands within the fitness industry.[1]

This gives Womanly Manly a somewhat different positioning from newer Philippine activewear brands that concentrate primarily on fashion-oriented leggings, sports bras, and lifestyle clothing.

The current Womanly Manly catalogue covers several major categories.

Women’s activewear

Womanly’s women’s clothing range includes:

• High-waisted leggings
• Cycling shorts
• Sports bras
• Workout sets
• Dry-fit tops
• Yoga tights
• Athleisure sets
• Compression clothing

For example, the brand currently sells coordinated sports-bra-and-legging sets such as its Cotton Candy and Pumpkin Spice collections. The Cotton Candy set is described as using soft, sweat-wicking, high-stretch fabric and is offered in sizes ranging from Small through XXL.[1]

The brand’s women’s collection also includes more traditional fitness accessories and support equipment rather than being limited to apparel.[1]

Men’s activewear

The Manly side of the business includes products such as:

• Compression shorts
• Compression tights
• Athletic supporters
• Supporter shorts
• Men’s sportswear
• Youth athletic-support products

Its online marketplace presence currently lists men’s compression shorts and dry-fit compression tights alongside its other products.[1]

Support and orthopaedic products

Support equipment is one of the company’s distinguishing product categories.

Examples include:

• Knee supports
• Ankle supports
• Calf supports
• Full-leg supports
• Arm supports
• Wrist and palm wraps
• Elastic bandages
• Patella and cartilage supports
• Waist trainers
• Compression products

This part of the range reflects the company’s historical emphasis on sports support and injury prevention.[1]

Fitness equipment

The company also sells equipment and accessories for home and gym workouts, including:

• Resistance/power bands
• Jump ropes
• Speed ropes
• Push-up bars
• Ab rollers
• Yoga mats
• Hand grips
• Table-tennis equipment
• Sports accessories

Its current catalogue, therefore, extends beyond clothing into a broader fitness-equipment and sports-support ecosystem.[1]

A major part of the company’s identity is its Philippine manufacturing heritage.

The company’s official website describes its products as “proudly Philippine made” and emphasises locally manufactured products as an important part of its value proposition.[1]

This aspect is also reflected in Philippine media coverage, which identifies Manly/Womanly as a local activewear brand with a longstanding manufacturing presence.[1]

The company has historically emphasised the combination of local production, quality, and relatively accessible pricing. Its own description states that Philippine-made products are intended to compete on both quality and price.[1]

One of the more distinctive aspects of Womanly Manly’s business is its connection to support gear and physical rehabilitation.

The company states that it is accredited with the Philippine Orthopedic Institute and describes its products as being developed with orthopaedic requirements in mind. It also identifies relationships with various corporate and safety-oriented organisations.[1]

This history helps explain why the brand’s product portfolio contains substantially more support equipment than a typical fashion-focused activewear company.

It is therefore useful to think of Womanly Manly as occupying an intersection between:

activewear + sports equipment + compression/support gear + rehabilitation products + athleisure.

Womanly Manly has operated through both traditional retail and online channels.

Older company information says Manly products were supplied to major Philippine retailers including Planet Sports, Olympic Village, The Athlete’s Village, Sports Warehouse, Gaisano, Market! Market!, and Landmark, while also becoming available through online retailers.[2]

The company now maintains its own e-commerce website and also operates a presence on Shopee Philippines. Its marketplace storefront currently lists more than 100 products and carries both Manly and Womanly products.

The company’s official website also advertises special pricing for corporate partners and wholesalers, suggesting that wholesale and institutional sales remain part of its business model.[1]

Womanly Manly can broadly be characterised as a value-oriented Philippine sports and active-lifestyle brand.

Its positioning is based on several elements:

Local identity.
The company strongly emphasises Philippine manufacturing and its long history in the local market.[1]

Function over fashion alone.
Compression, support, injury prevention, and physical functionality remain central to the company’s identity.

Broad product range.
Unlike a specialist leggings or sports-bra brand, Womanly Manly sells clothing alongside support products and exercise equipment.

Accessibility.
The company has historically emphasised competitive pricing, while its present catalogue ranges from relatively inexpensive accessories to higher-priced coordinated activewear sets.[1]

Women’s active lifestyle.
Womanly broadened the company’s traditional male-oriented market into women’s fitness and athleisure, including colourful designs and inclusive sizing. Mega Magazine specifically describes the expansion into a wider range of women’s activewear and an inclusive size range.

The Womanly line tends to combine bright colours, prints, fitted silhouettes, and practical athletic construction.

This is particularly visible in its coordinated sets. The Pumpkin Spice collection, for example, uses a bold printed design with a cross-back sports bra and high-waisted leggings, while the Cotton Candy collection uses a pink-and-blue abstract aesthetic.[1]

Consequently, the brand’s women’s line sits between traditional performance apparel and contemporary athleisure—clothing intended to work both during exercise and in casual settings.

The brand operates its official online store under the Womanly Manly Activewear name.[1]

It also maintains a marketplace presence on Shopee Philippines, where customers can purchase its apparel, support gear, and fitness accessories.

Business information published under Ganesh Import Export Inc. associates the Manly brand with a company headquartered in Western Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines. The profile lists the company’s specialties as manufacturing, retail, activewear, support gear, sportswear, injury prevention, and gym accessories.[2]

The company’s official store currently identifies a pickup location at the CCMC Compound in Western Bicutan, Taguig City.[1]

The company’s website identifies several types of organisational relationships, including:

• Philippine Orthopedic Institute — described by the company as a medical affiliation
• Asiong Industries — identified as a corporate partner
• LBC Express — identified as a courier partner
• FedEx — identified as a courier/corporate partner

These affiliations are presented by the company as part of its broader business and distribution network.[1]

Womanly Manly belongs to a generation of Philippine activewear companies that developed alongside the country’s growing fitness and wellness market.

Philippine lifestyle publications have included Manly/Womanly in lists of notable local activewear brands, emphasising its long market history, support products, affordability, and locally produced sportswear.[1]

More recently, its products have also appeared in Philippine fitness-product comparisons. For example, a 2026 mybest Philippines guide included the Womanly Manly Pumpkin Spice Athleisure Wear Set among recommended Zumba/workout clothing, highlighting its sweat-wicking, breathable and stretchable characteristics.

The name Womanly Manly Activewear reflects the company’s two-brand structure:

• Manly — the original brand, historically associated with men’s activewear, athletic supporters, compression products, and sports-support equipment.
• Womanly — the women’s-oriented extension, developed to provide women’s activewear and related fitness products.

Today, the two identities coexist under the same online storefront, which is why the company’s website is branded Womanly Manly Activewear while individual products may be labelled either Manly or Womanly by Manly.[1]

Womanly Manly’s significance within the Philippine activewear industry comes less from being a purely fashion-driven sportswear label and more from its longevity and hybrid product model.

The company combines a decades-old local sportswear business with a newer women’s activewear identity. Its portfolio spans everyday workout clothes, fashionable athleisure, compression garments, orthopaedic supports, rehabilitation-oriented products, and gym accessories.

This makes it a relatively unusual example of a Philippine activewear brand that evolved from functional sports-support manufacturing into a broader lifestyle and fitness brand.

1. About – manly activewear
2. Ganesh Import Export Inc | LinkedIn