On-trend: athleisure wear

By Danielle Hogan – Contributing Writer

To describe athleisure fashion in a few words: Adidas, Nike and leggings. Essentially, athleisure is comfort clothing that is used normally for exercising and going to the gym worn out of context. Women wear leggings, men wear tracksuits, but never to the gym.

Personally, I’m very much a fan of athleisure wear. On a relatively regular basis, I wear black leggings, a baggy t-shirt, and my Nike sneakers. To maximize comfort, lycra is often mixed with many fabrics. Companies also take advantage of the athleisure trend by putting patterns on their pieces, instead of creating more unique designs. Some pieces have cut-out designs as well, making the clothes appear more modern. Many brands are fashion forward when it comes to patterns and design. An example of that would be Fabletics, the fashion forward athletic clothing brand that is partnered with Kate Hudson.

This trend is also relatively cost effective. Nike, Adidas, and Fabletics are  reasonably priced and are sold in many retail stores. Other elements of athleisure fashion can be found in a variety of retailers and clothing stores as well. Lululemon was one of the first companies to seriously break out athleisure clothing. Although in a higher price range, the trend quickly took off. H&M then adopted athleisure wear, but at a more affordable price.

However, high end brands of athleisure do exist. Many brands premiered athleisure clothing in the spring 2017 fashion weeks. Céline, Acne Studios, and Tommy Hilfiger all have athleisure lines. I found this rather surprising, considering it’s such a casual trend. This is a prime example of the trickle up effect. In short, the trickle up effect is when a trend emerges on the street, and makes its way through the grapevine, and up to couture brands.

Athleisure is a wide ranging trend. It extends from affordable to couture brands, and is seen almost everywhere on anyone. It is comfort clothing that anyone can throw on, to run errands in, while still feeling trendy and stylish.