Athleisure: Becoming For You
There was a time when buying sportswear was for hardcore gymnasts or athletes. Then the bodybuilders who went to the gym started taking workout clothes seriously and wearing them religiously to the gym.
The moment one signed up with a gym or a fitness studio, went straight shopping and spend a big chunk of their salary on clothes that they would be wearing while they drench.
But time has changed and people have brought their gym wear to the streets. In any casual environment, be it, men or women, they have switched to clothes that make them comfy and look cool rather than uncomfortable but look nice.
In this day and age of wellness and avocado toasts with gym mirror pictures.
Activewear or as the trend is being called right now, especially by tweeps, #atheleisure- happens to have captured the current market dynamic most successfully. These clothes, to put it simply, offer comfort as well as versatility to consumers.
The style on the streets has changed. Women are wearing leggings, crop tops and sports bras, men are spotted in sweatpants, hoodies and sneakers. Everyone looks like having just finished a work-out in the gym, while grabbing a cappuccino near Cafe tower, meeting friends for brunch at Thija Cafe or heading to Thimphu town for shopping purposes.
Athleisure, a fitting contraction of the words “athletic” and “leisure,” refers to athletic apparel which people can wear in non-athletic settings.
The athleisure sector has grown 42% in the last seven years, and by 2026, it is expected to reach a value of over $250 billion (heuritech, 2020).
Athleisure trends are always changing and Becoming For You remains on their toes to keep track of the many different variations.
This established lifestyle emphasises one thing: People have the need for comfortable clothing. Embodying an athletic and casual leisure time is what athleisure is all about. And there is no doubt that this segment of the fashion market will always be on the rise.
Millennials like this new type of sportswear a lot. So much so, that it has found its way into the daily leisurewear of influencers and their followers.
THE HISTORY OF THE ATHLEISURE CRAZE
Lululemon was the first company of its kind to focus on the underserved female demographic: the athletic “super girls.” With the launch of its first pair of Boogie Pants in 1998, it pioneered the Athleisure wear category. Nevertheless, the brand still considers itself a technical streetwear player in which fashion never overtakes function.
ATHLEISURE WEAR TODAY: BY INFLUENCERS
As a result, sportswear brands started making clothes for athletic performance. The quality significantly improved with synthetic fibre clothing to boost athletes’ performances and allow greater freedom of movement.
Athleisure became widespread in 2016 when key influencers Beyoncé and Rihanna introduced athleisure to the mainstream 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.
Instagram transformed a sporty trend into a holistic lifestyle.
“Athleisure is not a fad or short-term trend. As we are becoming far more conscious of health and well-being, it is one of those product areas that will continue to become part of the consumers’ wardrobe. So, the market is on the rise. People like to buy brands, they are buying into quality as well as function and innovation. They tend to be very loyal to their brands.” -Honor Strachan, a lead retail analyst, UK
Becoming For You will continue to focus on sports and outdoor products as such products not only influences a healthy lifestyle but also provides comfort and full quality.
Stay tuned to future blogs about the products of the Becoming For You Sports and Outdoor edition!
