Athleisure

I chose athleisure as an aesthetic to explore more because I feel like it closely relates to my life and what I choose to wear on a daily basis. I have always liked wearing more comfortable, athletic and breathable clothes, and I think the uprising of the athleisure made a change to also make these types of clothes to be stylish. Athleisure is a modern aesthetic that helps blend athletic and leisurely clothes into versatile outfits, including street and gym clothing (see image (1), the featured photo, and image (2)). The designs of these clothes tend to be more minimalist based with sleek designs and high comfortability.

Athleisure emerged and became popular in the early 2010s, and since then it has grown into a well-known aesthetic that mostly appeals to people who have a fitness life but also care about their appearance in public. The reason this has become such a popular culture is because of its ability to easily transfer from gym to everyday life. Workout clothes are no longer confined to gym spaces but now are seen when people are out running errands, doing work at the office, getting lunch, and more.

One of the main characteristics of athleisure, and one I feel I highly relate to, is comfort. More traditional fashion normally sacrifices comfort for fashion (jeans, sweaters, non-athletic sneakers). Athleisure still provides a sense of fashion, while also being very comfortable and functional in many different aspects of life. A great example of this would be leggings. Prior to the rise of athleisure, leggings were normally never worn outside of a gym setting. Now, especially for women, seeing leggings outside of the gym happens many times daily. This is due to their sleek design, but also their level of comfort. Another example of this would be athletic shoes. I wear athletic shoes almost every day, as they still look good, but I no longer have to bring a change of shoes to go to the gym. Some of the most popular companies that support this aesthetic include Nike, Lululemon, Adidas, REI, Fabletics, and many more (see image (3)).

Another aspect of athleisure is the functionality of the clothing. The fabrics that are used to create this style of clothing is normally very breathable, flexible and moisture wicking. These fabrics are especially useful in the gym for temperature regulation and ensures the wearer stays comfortable during their workout. It is also practical to wear these clothes on a cold or hot day, as the moisture-wicking ability of these clothes allow one to stay dry, whether it be from sweat or precipitation. Some of the main fabrics that are currently being used in the athleisure aesthetic include Polyester, Spandex and Nylon, which are all seen in some of the clothes found in image (4) from New Balance.

From a more cultural standpoint, athleisure promotes a healthy lifestyle. As we see our society become more educated of their health and wellness, we see the amount of people supporting this aesthetic increase. Looking at athleisure from a sense of sustainability, many brands are turning to focus on more eco-friendly processes of production and the choice of materials used to manufacture the clothing. Recycled plastic is heavily used in shoe wear and clothing, along with other recycled materials like recycled polyester, or even bamboo (image (5)). This comes as more and more people become aware of the looming climate problem and want to do their part in supporting climate change. An example of a company that provides this type of clothing is Patagonia. Their founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a well-known environmental activist and uses his platform as a CEO this major company to do so. 69% of all materials used in Patagonia’s production are recycled materials. An advertisement stating that all shell style coats would be manufactured with recycled materials is shown in image (6).

Works Cited:

(1) People in Athleisure, 2023: Athleisure Photos, Download The BEST Free Athleisure Stock Photos & HD

(2) Common Street Attire Relating to Athleisure, 2019: Style Guide to Men’s Athleisure. Who doesn’t love the idea of looking… | by David Smith | Medium

(3) Company Logos that Sell Athleisure Clothing, 2019: Set of Popular Sportswear Manufactures Logos Editorial Stock Image – Illustration of collage, illustrative: 103532469

(4) Different Types of Athleisure Clothing with Different Materials, 2017: New Balance Apparel for Winter is Amazing!

(5) Process Showing Recycled Material to Clothing Process, 2020: Alcis Sports Produces Clothes Made Of Recycled Plastic PET Bottles

(6) An Advertisement of Recycled Clothing from Patagonia, 2019: All Patagonia Shells Will Now Use Recycled Materials – Unofficial Networks