Defining athleisure wear for an active and healthy lifestyle that fits your budget
What is athleisure wear? –
I love athleisure wear, especially in the summer. It is light and comfortable and perfect for daily activities. But, if you are like me and enjoy renewing your wardrobe every season, this is the ideal time to talk about how to shop for athleisure wear and athleisure brands. Here is how the post is organized.
What is athleisure wear?
Is activewear the same as athleisure?
What is athleisure style?
What does athleisure mean for the fashion industry?
Our finest selection of athleisure brands
As always, if you already know all this about athleisure vs. activewear, you can jump to our Clothing & Fashion page and check out the apparels we promote. You won’t be disappointed with our selection.
Moving on, what does athleisure mean? it is easy to figure out that it blends the words “athletic” and “leisure”. In addition, according to Merriam-Webster.
The dictionary added the word in January 2020 – simply defining Athleisure as casual clothing designed to be worn for exercising and general use.
Although this may be true, for the fashion industry, it is much more. In fact, athleisure is an aspirational lifestyle and a multi-billion dollar business phenomenon. According to Statista the sector grew from $105.1 billion in 2020 and to $113.4 billion in 2021.
Affiliate Disclosure
We want to remind you that we have included links to products in this post and will earn an affiliate commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. Learn more about our Affiliate Disclosure.Is activewear the same as athleisure wear?
If you got this far and found this post while googling for “activewear”, I’ve got you covered. Many brands market themselves as athleisure fashion and are more into activewear. However, they are not the same thing.
The athleisure movement began organically in the streets. Indeed, it was a cultural shift toward a healthier lifestyle as described in the Edmonton Journal. Athleisure fulfils consumers’ desire to balance comfort and style outside the gym.
Furthermore, in the search for an outfit that could fit multiple activities of today’s life, materials and function have evolved.
So activewear clothing became more comfortable and people start to wear it outside of their workouts.
For instance, picture this: Your start with a yoga class, but then you have to take your kids to school, go to work or run some errands. Or maybe you bike to work or want to jog during lunchtime. Or you have a long business trip day from one airport to another and all you want is to look stylish and feel comfortable.
Since our contemporary lifestyle removed the distinctions between the various hats we wear, the same happened between activewear and daywear. As a result, it opened the door to new streetwear fashion trends. That is when athleisure became bigger than activewear. You throw a blazer on top of it and it is all game.
What is athleisure style?
Athleisure wear has become so popular that the style is now considered fashion. People who want to look fashionable and sporty without restricting themselves to athletic apparel. They also prefer to wear athleisure wear during leisure activities rather than just when practicing sports.
Therefore, athleisure is a fashion trend that combines athletic and casual clothing. It is becoming increasingly popular because it allows people to express their individuality without compromising comfort or style.
Athleisure apparel – a departure from formal clothing
In Canada and throughout North America, as workplace conventions shifted from formal to casual clothing, people started wearing athleisure apparel in a variety of social circumstances. This proves that this transformative trend is much bigger than the fashion industry. Just look at the number of athleisure trends that are emerging.
It is easy to see people incorporating pieces of athleisure apparel into outfits that focus on fashion rather than lounging to create an authentic lifestyle.
The fashion industry seized this market opportunity. Athleisure apparel has become not just easy to wear, but also flexible and suitable for different weather conditions.
Luxury brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have surrendered to it. The same happened with other brands that were not in the active clothing market.
As a result, athleisure wear became a lifestyle statement of a person’s commitment to health and fitness.
Actually, in my post about authentic lifestyle – How to Shop Clothing Essentials from Authentic Brands, I said that people are influenced by many things to create their brand. At the top of the list are celebrities and influencers they follow on social media.
Maybe then it is not a coincidence that celebrities like Beyoncé and Rihanna have embraced athleisure as their fashion statement. Vogue and social media folks immediately noticed the trend.
Lifestyle is now the king of all products. The brands that understand this are ahead of the game. Welcome to the 2020s.
What does athleisure wear mean for the fashion industry?
Athleisure wear was on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it declined in 2020 and 2021 due to health measures that mandated self-isolating. According to Allied Market Research, a U.S. market research company with offices in Europe, Asia, and South America, this industry is expected to reach a value of nearly $547 billion by 2024.
The pandemic has made casual wear a widespread trend. We have become multi-seasonal and multi-functional. Brands don’t need athletes as primary influencers anymore. The data collected from the market and industry confirms this trend.
In its 2021 report, LaunchMetrics, a data and technology company based in more than thirty countries, detected key trends in the athleisure market:
- Sustainability – to bridge the gap between fashion and innovative-functional designs.
- Diversity and inclusivity are part of the business – to offer clothes for women of all shapes and sizes.
- Luxury brands entering the market – to create their performance lines before jumping into partnerships in the market.
- On-demand classes are now communities – to develop and offer on-demand fitness and wellness classes to their like-minded fans.
At the end of the day, consumers will choose brands that reflect their values.
Our finest selection of athleisure brands
Here are the athleisure brands you should consider adding to your wardrobe. While the top 10 top players in the industry include activewear giants such as Nike, Reebok, Puma, Lululemon and Fila, Calvin Klein is a new player. Calving Klein may soon become one of the most accessible luxury athleisure brands in Canada.
Check our website regularly for more posts like this and the Clothing & Fashion page for shopping authentic lifestyle products.
Remember, we are always here to help you out via our Contact page.
Talk soon,
Debora by TrudoUrbani.
