Athleisure

Athleisure clothing frequently uses accents of brightly-colored fabric against a dark background.

Athleisure is a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as during work, casual or social occasions.[1][2] Athleisure outfits are yoga pants, tights and leggings[3] that "look like athletic wear" and are characterized as "fashionable, dressed up sweats and exercise clothing".[4][5] The idea is that gym clothes are supposedly making their way out of the gym and becoming a larger part of people's everyday wardrobes.[3] By some accounts, the athleisure trend grew out of women wearing yoga pants.[6] Another account suggests that the trend came about because people could wear them for multiple occasions without having to change, which meant greater convenience, since people did not have to carry an extra gym outfit on the way to the office, for example.[3]

Sales trends

Reports in USA Today and in the Wall Street Journal describe the athleisure market as growing,[1] displacing typical workwear styles, and cutting in to sales of jeans,[7] with a market size in 2014 as $35 billion, representing an 8% increase from the previous year.[4] According to one estimate, the athleisure market, including footwear, was $270 billion in 2016, and was estimated to grow by 30% by the year 2020.[8]

The athleisure market for casual athletic clothing, which took off a few years ago, also has become increasingly crowded with big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, as well as fast-fashion brands joining the fray — often at cheaper prices.[9] An analyst estimated that the athleisure market was not slowing down, with much competition and pressure on various retail outlets including sporting goods stores.[9]

While the trend was started by women, men are increasingly turning to athleisure wear as well.[3] For men's fashion, athleisure wear began with luxury sweatpants and then moved to the upper torso region with "dressy/sporty versions of men’s blazers, varsity jackets, pea coats and sweaters".[6]

Technology

Research has led to new fibers developed specifically for odor reduction, sweat-wicking, stretchability to conform to the body's shape, breathability to allow air in and out, and protection from dirt.[10][11] Some clothing designs permit selected parts of the clothing to allow more breathability while other parts can have greater tension, perhaps as a way to aid posture.[12] A type of athleisure is sometimes called "technical wear" which describes clothes that are more suitable for wearing to the office while being comfortable.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Elizabeth Holmes, May 5, 2015, Wall Street Journal, Athleisure: A Workout Look for Every Occasion, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...athletic-inspired, casual look..."
  2. ↑ WOMEN'S FASHION BY NATALIE RIGG, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014, T Magazine, Athleisure-Appropriate Hair at Paco Rabanne, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...clothes have a cool, sporty vibe, so..."
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sam Sanders, APRIL 08, 2015, NPR, For The Modern Man, The Sweatpant Moves Out Of The Gym, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...growing trend called "athleisure."... sales of athleisure apparel were more than $35 billion last year..."
  4. 1 2 Natalie DiBlasio, December 29, 2014, USA Today, Retailers rush to tap Millennial 'athleisure' market, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...Sales for "athleisure," a new clothing category ... comfy-casual-athletic action....Millennial women are flocking to athleisure clothing — fashionable, dressed up sweats and exercise clothing — for their casual go-to clothing for both leisure and work. For many of the Millennials, jeans have dropped to a distant second for weekend wear..."
  5. ↑ Devin Loring, March 25, 2015, USA Today, What's 'athleisure'? Find out in Spring Lake, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "... worn during non-athletic, leisurely activities...."
  6. 1 2 ADAM TSCHORN, February 11, 2015, Los Angeles Times, New York Fashion Week: For men, athleisure gains ground on workwear, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "....athleisure is on its way in, with the trend that started with luxe sweatpants a year ago..."
  7. ↑ Anne D'Innocenzio, The Associated Press, September 6, 2014, USA Today, Jeans face uncertain future amid yoga wear rage, Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...Levi Strauss, which invented the first pair of blue jeans 141 years ago, is among jean makers that acknowledge their women's business has been hurt ..."
  8. ↑ Milnes, H., March 22, 2016, Digiday, Designer sneakers and $200 leggings: How luxury stepped into the rise of athleisure, Retrieved May 30, 2016
  9. 1 2 Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2016, Why sporting goods retailers are fumbling
  10. 1 2 Chayka, K., Maxim, July 14, 2015, Technical Wear: The Better Athleisure, Retrieved May 30, 2016
  11. ↑ Kapner, S. (May 7, 2015, May 7). The Wall Street Journal, Luxe Meets ‘Athleisure’ in Techie Cashmere, Retrieved May 30, 2016
  12. ↑ Mann, L., August 3, 2015, Knitting Industry, Athleisure and the Future of Fashion, Retrieved May 30, 2016
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.