The Rise of Athleisure and How to Style it for Everyday Wear

Source: Marco Tjokro

Athleisure is everywhere. In our fast-paced world, fashion has needed to adapt to our ever-changing lifestyles. Athleisure has grown out of a need for constant comfort and mobility, changing the way we dress and consciously purchase clothing. While we struggle to balance work and our personal lives, athleisure can become a neutral trend to stick with. An increasing movement toward nutrition and wellness has also sparked a fashion movement; the everyday person is valuing their comfort and mobility over highly fashionable clothing more and more. In truth, athleisure has become the new reality of fashion. 

Athleisure stems from athletic wear and sportswear, though it has become its own category of wearable workout attire. Brands like Lululemon and Nike have thrived out of a growing culture of fitness wearability while catering to specific markets. Many reports show the growing market for athleisure is seen in young women from ages 16-30. Athletic wear brands have continued to shift their markets towards younger consumers, generating clothing that is less sports-oriented, and more fashion-forward. As the market continues to change and grow, athleisure will continue to become an important part of our day-to-day lives and choice of clothing. 

Source: Matt Flores

American culture is deeply rooted in physical activity. However, in part, today’s rising popularity of athleisure can credit the pandemic. As more people worked remotely instead of in an office, they sought out comfortable, stylish, and quality pieces of clothing over whatever was seen as trendy and fashionable at the time. However, formality in fashion seems to be declining in general in Western culture. Many different factors contribute to the decline. The comfort and durability of synthetic fabrics give shape and comfort to clothing pieces while being accessible to just about anyone. Athleisure has begun to blur the line between gym attire and business-casual office wear. 

Modern-day athleisure began with the yoga pant. Stretchy, synthetic fibers structured into comfortable spandex have evolved into the athleisure we see today because yoga clothing has revolutionized the way we view daily comfort. Intended for flexibility, spandex pieces can be seen among the masses, worn to pilates classes, the office, and the grocery store. Athletic attire has been around for a long time, changing and adapting to society, the climate, and the needs of individuals. Since the 1890s, women’s athletic fashion in particular has experienced incredible and necessary change. Long skirts offered little mobility and even become dangerous when riding a bicycle. The need for more sensible attire generated a social movement toward more breathable, moveable athletic clothing early on. Fashion was forced to keep up with our fast-moving society, and today, athleisure continues to be the most practical choice of clothing for the average American. 

Source: Karla Martinez

Athleisure’s impact on fashion has changed rapidly. Well-known athletic wear brands like Puma and Adidas have produced more fashion-forward pieces, usually referencing retro designs of the past. The vintage resurgence has been the inspiration for bigger athletic brands that are able to keep up with the changing world. Athleisure has provided an area to explore sporty fashion in an elevated and modern way. 

How did athleisure make its way into designer fashion spaces? Sneaker culture and streetwear have helped athleisure grow into a thriving category. Tennis shoes have been around for decades, serving as a universal shoe in many sports, and providing comfort and stability in casual wear. Most streetwear clothing is athleisure. To keep up with the needs of consumers, luxury brands have taken steps to collaborate with streetwear and athletic brands, expanding their market to a whole new group of people. Gucci x The North Face, Lois Vuitton x Supreme, Dior x Air Jordan, and Reebok x Maison Margiela have produced iconic, specialty athleisure pieces that have given a new purpose to designer fashion. As athleisure continues to grow in popularity, we can only expect more luxury designers to collaborate with athletic apparel brands. 

Source: Sebastian Pociecha

Athleisure may be the easiest trend to participate in because it is so personal. It changes depending on your lifestyle. Most of the clothing in your wardrobe is probably made out of some kind of stretchy, synthetic fabric. While athleisure becomes the standard for casual looks, there are many ways to adapt the trend into everyday outfits. Finding a unique pair of sneakers can be an easy place to start. When it comes to athleisure, curating comfortable and long-lasting pieces is vital. You may consider a pair of loose parachute pants instead of leggings, or a vintage-inspired sweatsuit instead of the pair of sweats you usually throw on for the gym. Athleisure gives us the chance to explore fashion without sacrificing our comfort.

If you are looking for wearable and comfortable athleisure pieces, you may feel inspired by our picks below:

Brands in order by photo: Girlfriend Collective, Adidas, Outdoor Voices, Alo Yoga, Salomon, With Jéan, Lululemon, Nylora, Set Active, Axel Arigato

Sources: Annika. “The Rise of Athleisure: When Sport Meets Fashion.” Vocast, https://vocast.com/blog-athleisure-market-insight.

Calinog, T. "Luxury Meets Athleisure: The Future of High-End Fashion." SGK Inc. https://sgkinc.com/en/insights/single-insight/luxury-meets-athleisure-the-future-of-high-end-fas/

Jahn, M. "Athleisure." Investopedia, September 29, 2022. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/athleisure.asp#:~:text=Athleisure%20grew%20out%20of%20the,into%20men's%20clothing%20as%20well.

Thompson, D. "Everything You Wear is Athleisure." The Atlantic, October 28, 2028. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/bicycle-bloomers-yoga-pants-how-sports-shaped-modern-fashion/574081/