Wardrobe casualisation began in 2020 and there has been no looking back ever since. Athleisure has witnessed unprecedented growth with the global athleisure market size anticipated to reach USD 662.56 billion by 2030 and continues to be the fastest growing clothing segment, showcasing a CAGR of 9.1%.
The biggest USP for athleisure garments is that they are stylish, comfortable, versatile, flexible, and attractive enough to wear to work, for a night out with friends, or for any physical activity. Imagine wearing your cool pair of joggers, a well-fitted t-shirt that can go from a hike in the woods to a Zoom meeting and out to dinner without ever looking out of place – that’s the holy grail of athleisure. People of all ages wear athleisure gear to work, university, social gatherings, and the gym. The clothes are breathable, lightweight, rapid-drying, wrinkle-free, moisture-wicking fabrics, and UV-repelling characteristics with the potential to pack lots more benefits.
The competitive landscape is exceptionally difficult as most new-age D2C brands struggle to replicate the authenticity, technical prowess and trust that traditional sportswear brands have gained in the athleisure space. What’s interesting is that athleisure wear is not a millennial or GenZ phenomenon but finds universal appeal and brands would do well to consider diversifying designs, styles and marketing that is all-encompassing while geared towards different types of consumer demographics and motivations.
Athleisure takes centre stage
Fundamentally the growth of athleisure can be attributed to the way millennials and GenZ live and work today along with post-pandemic changes in how people view fashion overall. The word ‘athleisure’ is an amalgamation of ‘athletic’ and ‘leisure’ and given its current aesthetic, athleisure combines fashion and function for everyday wear with utility as a focus, even outside the gym and is suitable for all kinds of day and downtime activities.
The trend found favor since fashionable and functional wardrobe is achieved by combining cool styling with ease of wear and movement for a world that has increasingly become more fitness-conscious. In this comfort meets design era, the fact that athleisure wear provides a smooth transition from sportswear to loungewear, offering a versatile clothing style that effortlessly bridges the gap, appeals to the current fashion-forward, active population.
The changing face of athleisure
Athleisure is having its moment and elevating its offering with tech wear. Fabric upgradation is the starting point, for cotton-based styles, leveraging the natural performance attributes in materials such as hemp, cellulosics or responsibly sourced animal wool blends with weather-protection as a key feature, whereas for close-to-skin pieces upgrade to skin-friendly solutions, cooling technology and sun-protective materials.
Utility and versatility in details will take centre stage as brands add ventilation in pockets, breathability through perforated waistbands or invest in regenerative nylon for an eco-conscious upgrade. Silhouette and styling has a new aesthetic as increasingly discerning consumers seek simplification and the ‘perfect’ product, providing styles that are versatile and functional enough to become the foundation of an active wardrobe.
Inclusive fits are the need of the hour for hard-working basics. Prints and graphics will become mainstream and continue to reflect popular cultural nuances and trends. Consumers want their athleisure wear to blend neatly into their wardrobe, giving them options to mix and match their daily wear with more sporty looks.
Vibing with athleisure aficionados
Athleisure enthusiasts are essentially people buying into a certain way of living, a community they can be a part of and that can be seen in the cult following that Lulu Lemon for example enjoys so brands should be aware that these are consumers that are looking for products that also offer a premium lifestyle, not just a comfortable jacket.
Founder & CEO
XYXX Apparels
There is growing expectation for mindful details and prioritising performance-enhancing features so emphasis on hyper-functionality is a must. A renewed interest in travel mandates the need for designs suitable for more extreme weather conditions such as high sun exposure, heat and rain. Active experiences are now on everyone’s mind and taking part in social, recreational sports outside which has become a weekend must-do will see an appetite for multifunctional, packable, upbeat styles as ‘Resort Sport’ becomes a wardrobe staple. As wellness becomes paramount, future-proof designs with tech-ready compartments to house next-to-body electronics will be the mandate.
Looks matter in a big way and the brands that have been most successful in leveraging the athleisure trend and building their sales are those that can display their products to multiple audiences, in a multitude of different ways. A lot of marketing comes down to the in-store and online experience; how to present the items, which Key Opinion Leaders endorse your products and what are the settings you choose to place them in. To make a pair of performance-focused running shorts look like casual wear would be to pair it with baseball caps, a bag, a belt, a more casual jacket or a hoodie – and voila, it transforms an originally performance-led product into an athleisure look.
