Series: Sport Fabric, Part 1: The Staying Power of Athleisure
Athleisure took the apparel industry by storm in 2010, and some critics said the casual clothing style was probably a passing fad. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Athleisure is now a lifestyle brand and an entire category of its own. It’s the new casual and has gone both more upscale and more downscale — from $200 performance sports bras to distressed sweatpants.
Beyond the gym and weekend errand running, athleisure clothes can even be spotted
at the office with stretchy slacks made of the same material as yoga pants, or bras that transition from daytime wear to spin class.
Athleisure clothes have broadened beyond tracksuits and sweatpants to now include leggings, joggers, shirts, sports bras, tops and tennis dresses.
Women are wearing nicer-looking yoga pants and leggings to the office underneath dresses and tunics — and then keeping those same pants on for a hot yoga class after work.
Men are buying compression pants to wear under athletic shorts for additional warmth or support, and some are ditching baggy sweatpants in favor of more flattering and form-fitting running pants or basketball pants. Some men have swapped out traditional cotton undershirts for compression shirts that wick away sweat better and keep them cool and dry.
In addition to comfort and aesthetics, many consumers choose athleisure clothes for their technologically advanced fibers that wick away sweat, improve airflow and breathability, reduce odor and protect from harmful UV rays.
To be sure, athleisure clothes haven’t replaced activewear and sportswear, which tend to be tighter fitting and offer more support for intense exercise and movement.
They have influenced design, and many sports brands have migrated toward a more multi-purpose look that can transition from gym to grocery store to brunch with a friend.
We love seeing this trend evolve, and we’re proud to be an influencer of the next generation of athleisure wear.
Better with brrrº
brrrº’s technology can be incorporated in both athleisure and sportswear and has unique lab-tested cooling properties that make clothes perform better. With natural cooling minerals embedded right in the yarn, plus proprietary wicking and airflow technology, brrr° fabrics create a Triple Chill Effect that keeps you cool when life brings the heat.
