Athleisure: Finally in the Spotlight

In our post-pandemic world, athleisure apparel is growing at a rapid pace – but where does this trend come from?

Athleisure fashion – sportswear which can be worn for fitness and casual attire – has been around since at least the ’90s, with sneakers and hoodies just as cool three decades ago as they are today.[1] Since then, the pandemic changed many things – including how we decide to dress and face the world each day – thus making our choices ever more important for the environment.[2]

 

Starting with the OGs

Using clothing items typically meant for sports and athletic activities for everyday wear is something long coming, but until not long ago refrained to niche categories. For example, the all-star Converse shoes went from basketball footwear to skater wear to teenage dearies. In Italy, in the late years of the first decade of the 2000s, first youngsters playing football were using the Nike Total 90 to signal they were athletes, then broader society followed. In the US, music artists, especially rappers, notoriously wore sneakers, sweatpants, and baseball caps in their videos, as well as in their everyday life. [3]

What’s the word of the day

The last few years for the fashion industry have been rough, however, with most business meetings – and activities in general – taking place in people’s homes, propelling activewear, such as sweatpants and leggings, to quickly become part of cardinal garments of professional wardrobes. [4] According to Statista, the U.S. sports apparel market was valued at EUR 90 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach EUR 130 billion by 2025.[5]

In part, this flows consequently from the inherent questions the pandemic provoked in people in regard to dress codes. Hamutal Schieber – a New York based trends and innovation consultant – sees society passing a turning point of no return. Not only do people spend more time at home for work and exercising, but they seek to do so within a self-care optic, whilst also spending better on multi-seasonal and multi-functional apparel – intrinsic characteristics of athleisure.[6]

 

Taking your activewear to the max

Whether you are working to stay fit or for everyday attire, you are pushing the use of your athleisure garments. Higher usages correspond with higher laundry loads, and cumulatively in a quicker deterioration of our clothes. Hence, it becomes ever more imperative to make sure that what we wear helps the environment and protects the people that make them.[7] Even minor adjustments to our routines can ensure we reduce our individual environmental footprints, such as washing our clothes in cold water, skipping the drier, and making sure we shop eco-friendly. [8]

 

References

[1] “The Rise of Athleisure in The Fashion Industry and What It Means For Brands”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/05/03/the-rise-of-athleisure-in-the-fashion-industry-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=7cac0bae3ae0

[2] “The Rise of Athleisure in The Fashion Industry and What It Means For Brands”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/05/03/the-rise-of-athleisure-in-the-fashion-industry-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=7cac0bae3ae0

[3] “The Rise of Athleisure in The Fashion Industry and What It Means For Brands”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/05/03/the-rise-of-athleisure-in-the-fashion-industry-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=7cac0bae3ae0

[4] “The Rise of Athleisure in The Fashion Industry and What It Means For Brands”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/05/03/the-rise-of-athleisure-in-the-fashion-industry-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=7cac0bae3ae0

[5] “Value of the Sports Apparel Market in the United States from 2019 to 2025”. Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1087137/value-of-the-sports-apparel-market-by-product-category-us/#:~:text=The%20sports%20apparel%20market%20in,billion%20U.S.%20dollars%20by%202025.

[6] “The Rise of Athleisure in The Fashion Industry and What It Means For Brands”. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/05/03/the-rise-of-athleisure-in-the-fashion-industry-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=7cac0bae3ae0

[7] “Sustainable and Ecological Sportswear Brands that are Good for the Planet”. El Bien Social. Available at:

https://elbiensocial.org/sustainable-and-ecological-sportswear-brands-that-are-good-for-the-planet/

[8] “The Rise of Eco-Athleisure”. Beyond the Forest. Available at: http://graduate.cees.wfu.edu/magazine/the-rise-of-eco-athleisure

 

Author: Naomy Gmyrek