How Athleisure Wear Rose Through the Clothing Industry

People love getting a good deal. They want to get their money’s worth from buying an item. They want something that can be used in different environments. Athleisure wear said “That’s us” in the clothing industry.

Athleisure wear is “casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use,” according to Merriam-Webster. The name comes from combining athletic and leisure, and the clothes are a representation of both.

Athleisure clothing is versatile and can be worn for physical activities, work, late-night Taco Bell runs, and anything in between.

Athleisure Wear Beginnings

Athleisure wear may seem like a new trend, but it has old roots.

It originates from sportswear. As society has evolved, less of our time is spent on survival and more time is spent on recreational activities. One of those activities is sports.

Normal clothing in the late 1800s and early 1900s was not conducive to sports play. So people started making clothing to wear exclusively for sports.

Fast forward a few decades.

As time went on, society relaxed the strict standards of what was deemed acceptable to wear. Businessmen have gone from full suits, to shirt and tie, to a collared shirt, to now just a t-shirt on casual Fridays. This change is reflected in all aspects of fashion.

For many reasons, the sports industry has exploded in recent decades. With this explosion sportswear for performing has improved. All the advancements have made it a viable option for non-sports activities too.

The Versatility of Athleisure Wear

The reason athleisure has become so popular is its versatility. In today’s world, people are always busy. Somehow, with all this advanced technology that makes life easier, we are busier than ever before. But that’s beside the point.

The real point is that people don’t have time for three outfit changes in a day. If you could wear one outfit to work, for errands, and for your workout, why wouldn’t you do so?

Not only can you leave the house and not have to go home to change, or pack clothes with you, but you save time picking out clothes. Instead of deciding on several outfits, you only need to choose one.

Plus, in today’s busy world you never know where your day will take you. Things don’t always go as planned, so if plans change you can now be ready for whatever life throws at you.

Athleisure Wear’s Future growth

Any growing trend that can be profitable will attract attention. In a previous Morgan Stanley report, they noted that activewear has had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% from 2010-2017. They expect a 4% CAGR for the years 2018-2023.

The two main driving forces for athleisure’s growth are increased health and wellness and casual fashion. As society becomes more aware of health and wellness, athleisure will only grow.

People will exercise even more and as a result wear athleisure more. This also ties in with fashion becoming more casual as it is now more acceptable to wear athletic brands in public.

So next time you go out in public in some of your old, raggedy athletic clothes, remember it’s athleisure and you’re a fashion god.