Athleisure, a fusion of athletic and leisure wear, was one of the fastest-growing fashion sectors in 2021. It consists of comfortable workout clothing worn in casual environments. The industry has skyrocketed since 2010, growing 42% in the last seven years alone.
Athleisure’s popularity is evident on Aragon’s campus. Lululemon, a brand whose popularity has increased by six times in the past decade, is commonly seen on campus in the form of its red and black bags, as is the Nike logo on any article of clothing, from caps to shoes.
“In some ways, [athleisure] makes you feel … more athletic [and] that gets me in the mindset [to run]”
Social media and celebrity endorsements contribute to the growth of athleisure’s popularity among youth. Some celebrities even have their own athleisure lines or collections, like Rihanna’s Fenty Puma or Kate Hudson’s Fabletics, which collaborate with public figures such as Maddy Ziegler. Influencers who also use their platforms to promote such brands have 10-100 million followers across their Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“Trends [stimulate] a lot of what people wear … [and] are … advertised via social media,” said junior Ella Sims. “People see what other people are wearing or doing on social media and they want to replicate that. Seeing how different celebrities or influencers, like Kendall Jenner, use athleisure … gives me inspiration for different styles and things that I can do with my own athleisure wear.”
Athleisure’s social media popularity can be attributed, in part, to the fitness and inclusivity culture surrounding athletic wear.
“I think a lot of athleisure nowadays is also correlated with form [and] figure,” said senior Natalie Teng. “In some ways, it makes you feel … maybe a little bit more athletic fitness-wise. At least for me, that gets me in the right mindset [to run].”
The pandemic has also increased the industry’s success dramatically. As people spent more time at home, activities like school, work and exercising blended together and people started to look at clothing that allowed them to do it all.
“I feel like a while [ago], athleisure was [just] for working out,” Sims said. “But as time goes on [and] COVID-19 [keeps] people inside, [it’s become] appropriate for people to wear athleisure out to dinner, to lunches or just for going out in general.”
Overall clothing sales declined substantially during the pandemic, more than 34% over a one-year period, due to customers having a reduced need to go out. However, the sale of athletic clothing increased overall as people substituted formal, dressy attire for comfortable, versatile clothing. Retail chains like Neiman Marcus and J. Crew, known for more sophisticated styles, were already struggling before COVID-19 caused a wave of retail stores closures. For instance, J. Crew suffered a loss of $658 million in 2014 and its sales continued to drop from there. Both Neiman Marcus and J. Crew filed for bankruptcy in the summer of 2020, indicating that the pandemic was a catalyst to their fall. Meanwhile, Athleta, an athleisure brand of Gap Inc, saw a 6% overall sales increase. Other athleisure companies like Gymshark found that their sales increased by 856% during the first week of July 2021 and 150% over July and August of the same year.
“Athleisure [is] a nice in-between between loungewear and looking presentable”
“Athleisure [is] a nice in-between between loungewear and looking presentable,” Sims said. “[It’s] cute. [It’s] chic. But then, [it’s] also practical. What sets apart athleisure from athletic wear … is [that] you don’t have to wear it [to work out but] you can still be cute with it.”
The industry is dominated by brands like Lululemon, Athleta and Nike due to brand loyalty, or the tendency of a customer to make repeat purchases from a retailer due to a positive association with a product.
“I have my brands that I go to because they’re reliable and I know that they work for me,” Sims said. “I [also] trust the brands … my friends [and] family [use].”
For people who prefer certain brands, their trust in the product justifies the price, which can often be more than $100 for leggings, or close to $120 for running jackets.
“I’ve found that Lululemon … [personally] works despite the [high] price tag, because I trust that the quality is going to [justify] the price,” Sims said.
However, for others, balancing price with quality leads them to more affordable athleisure brands like Champion.
“[Bigger] brand names tend to be a lot more expensive,” Teng said. “For me, if I’m buying a pair of black leggings, it doesn’t really matter what brand it is, so I’m more [likely] to go for … less expensive brands.”
Athleisure provides a right balance of comfort and functionality.
“I’m a fairly athletic person [and] I find athleisure easy to wear,” Teng said. “It’s comfortable and versatile, so even on days [when] I don’t really know what [I will be] doing, it’s a safe choice.”
The athleisure industry was valued at $155 billion in 2018 and is projected to be valued at over $250 billion by 2026. The versatility and comfort and flexibility of athleisure allow it to become a part of daily life.
