Combining functionality and sleek minimalist design, athleisure wear has played a major role in Running Wear’s resurgence on the fashion scene. This trend, supporting “transition” moments with leggings and other yoga pants which can be worn anytime, anywhere, went viral and finally reached premium and luxury brands. Now, indie brands, like Alo Yoga, Vuori Clothing, and Epoque Evolution are disrupting the distribution model and carving out a niche in this segment.
With its links to the health and wellness movement, as well as a growing focus on inclusivity, the evolution of athleisure is clearly far from reaching the finish line.
According to the Global Athleisure Market Report from Allied Market Research, athleisure is indeed still on the rise.
In 2018, the athleisure market size was valued at $155.2 billion, and by 2026, it is expected to reach $257.1 billion.
Everyone from Nike to Primark to Eres has launched athleisure lines to cash in on this $44 billion market (in the US alone), according to NPD Group. By many accounts, athleisure is the signature fashion trend of the 21st century so far. The expression comes from the contraction of “athletic” and “leisure”.
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Athleisure refers to athletic apparel which people can wear in non-athletic settings. It was seen, for a long time, as “casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use” as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
It symbolizes a decompartmentalization of sportswear, which, thanks to its elevated design, becomes an everyday outfit able to instantly enhance a look.
Athleisure wear: From female empowerment to an Instagrammable holistic success
Deirdre Clemente, professor of history at the University of Nevada, told Business Insider that athleisure mania relies on three long-term trends:
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Technological innovations in synthetic fibers have made products like spandex more flexible, durable, and washable than natural materials.
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The rise of a fitness-conscious appearance has made yoga pants an effective vector for “conspicuous consumption,” upon their wearers.
Athleisure became widespread in 2016 when key influencers Beyoncé and Rihanna introduced athleisure to the mainstream, with the help, respectively, of Puma and Topshop, using Instagram as a runway to commercial success. Today, in 2020, Beyonce’s athleisure brand Ivy Park is one of the most-followed brands of its category on Instagram, accompanied by other influencer and celebrity-backed brands such as Fabletics and Doyoueven.
