As more people return to the office, the days of working in track pants, T-shirts and house slippers may soon be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that comfortable dressing should go out the window altogether.
While many offices have dress codes that employees need to strictly adhere to, plenty of work places have relaxed attire requirements and across the globe, comfortable dressing is more popular than ever.
Whether it’s sportswear, athleisure or athluxury, the idea of comfortable clothes that have a sporty vibe while still dressing to impress is as much in-trend today as it was in the late 19th century when it formed its roots.
Remember when modern athleisure first took off and suddenly, everyone from mums at school drop-offs to teenagers were styling themselves in tracksuits, blazers and sneakers?
The line between actual activewear (what you wear to sweat it out in the gym) and “going-out” activewear or athleisure (still comfortable and sporty but not what you would wear to sweat it out in the gym) is vague, but essentially athleisure is a little more dressy.
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InStyle describes athleisure of the past (pre-Covid, its origins tracing way back to the late 1990s but gaining popularity in 2015), as translating to pairings such as “joggers” (sweatpants) and heels, sneakers (Nikes) and dresses, and designer leggings (anything by Lululemon) with a leather jacket or under a dress.
Essentially, the idea was to be comfortable and slightly sporty, while still adhering to the societal expectation of dressing to impress, noted InStyle.
Vogue defines athleisure as “the marriage of athletic gear and leisure wear, means trackies and blazers, sweats and heels”, and invites readers to examine the styles of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian to better picture the trend.
The magazine cites the late Virgil Abloh as a key figure to thank for the movement – during his time as artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, he gave exquisite tailoring effortless streetwear appeal.
His final show for Off-White (Autumn/Winter 2022), saw tiered tulle dresses teamed with trainers and baseball caps.
That athletic vibe
Athluxury, a relatively new term, is defined as apparel that is a step above athleisure, where designer work and comfort meet.
Savour Flair notes that athluxury found its roots at the intersection of athleticwear and luxury, resulting in chic, polished pieces that are versatile but still elegant enough to not be mistaken for your gym look.
These came in the form of practical but stylish designer sportswear, with a higher price point, for example Dior’s Cruise 2022 collection shown early this year in Athens.
A notable design in the collection is the Dior Vibe bag, available in two silhouettes: the Hobo and the Bowling bag.
The rise of athleisure
This trend, of course, isn’t at all new, as its origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, when the first shoes with rubber bottoms were produced for athletes in 1892.
The rubber gave the shoes better traction on the tennis courts, earning them the name “tennis shoes”.
The modern athleisure movement gained traction in the 1970s, as exercise caught on and more people began focusing on their physical fitness.
This resulted in apparel companies seeing the value in designing clothing specifically for exercise in a variety of different fabrics that offer moisture-wicking properties, improved breathability, and odour-wicking technology. (source: tascperformance.com)
Fast-forward to the years between 2012 and 2019, when the global athleisure sector increased by 42% to a total value of US$270bil (RM1.1tril), and more brands began producing styles geared towards athleisure, combining the best elements of streetwear, loungewear and athletic apparel, even those that previously had zero products of this nature in their collections.
Lululemon is often credited as one of the brands that revived and refreshed athleisure, and other early adopters include American Apparel and Nike.
As the trend continued to grow, companies like Kate Spade New York and Tory Burch began incorporating these types of designs to fit the market.
Today, everyone from fast fashion to high-end designers are coming up with athleisure offerings, and some of the more prominent collections introduced this year include Gucci’s collaboration with Adidas (as seen on the cover) with designs that are smart but sporty, as well as Burberry, which joined forces with Supreme.
At Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia’s vision is one of elevated luxury, from lycra leggings to track jackets and the brand’s Triple S trainers, and let’s not forget Juicy Couture, known for their popular velvet tracksuits, who recently collaborated with Ganni on a range of rhinestoned tracksuits and graphic tees in a throwback to the early 2000s.
Shift towards comfort
Many may just be getting into the trend, but the idea of dressing more comfortably was already in motion before the Covid-19 pandemic, as athleisure and casual wear trends were catching on in the broader fashion industry and in offices.
An analyst of footwear and fashion trends for NPD Group, Beth Goldstein, told Instyle.com that uncomfortable footwear was losing popularity before the pandemic, and millennial and gen Z professionals revolutionised work culture by rotating high-tops and clogs into their wardrobes, redefining the term “business casual”.
Dress shoes and heels were replaced with sneakers, while semi-formal clothing made way for sweatsuits, graphic tees and leggings, and even as the world opens up again and people start heading out, athleisure appears here to stay.
The rise of athleisure – which coincided with the simultaneous rise of streetwear in high fashion – has upended our entire belief in what is or is not “appropriate” or “respectable” in a traditional environment like the office, said Goldstein.
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Like it or not (but let’s face it, most of us are here for it), athleisure is here to stay.
According to a report, Athleisure Products Key Trends and Opportunities to 2027 Market, the global athleisure products market size is expected to reach US$482mil (RM2.14tril) by the end of 2027.
Trends to watch
If you’re a little late to the party and want to adopt some athleisure into your daily style, there are a few current trends you can try out.
For men, dress sneakers are a great choice as they go with just about everything. Think the usual minimal white, black or brown leather options, but there are also options for hybrid sneakers that merge the comfort of a sneaker with the sophistication of a dress shoe.
For ladies, sneakers are a top choice for any occasion, and they can be paired with everything from dreamy dresses to denim.
Combine athleisure with streetwear by trying out retro tracksuits, jackets and unisex T-shirts, mixing red with other solid colours or black.
Bold dressers, think chunky, cozy winter boots worn with legging and workout top, or a sports bra styled with a button-down shirt and biker shorts.
The trends doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you, as the whole point is to have fun with the look and to prioritise comfort.
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