FEATURE
article, we explore the world of athleisure—from
its origins to its widely lauded future.
WHAT IS ATHLEISURE?
The idea of athleisure is fairly simple—it is a
combination of athletic and leisure garments. It
is a form of casual clothing that is highly versatile
for its suitability for general purposes as well
as for exercise or active periods. While it was
unorganised in its origins, as people began to
wear athletic items in a casual setting, it soon
became a fashion trend that has endured
over decades. Today, athletic wear is found
well beyond the sports domain and in homes,
schools, social settings, and even workplaces.
The most popular clothing item in this category
are perhaps yoga pants, but this also extends
to hoodies, tights, shorts, leggings, sweatpants,
sports bras, zippers, and more. As a result, it
has taken on a market segment of its own, with
specialised brands having arisen over the years
to focus and promote it as a separate apparel
segment. During that time, the popularity of
sports branding with athletes and the reduced
cost of producing synthetic materials has
also made the athleisure segment more easily
accessible to a wider consumer base; plus,
developments in materials such as Lycra, nylon,
spandex, micromodal, and other technical textiles
have also added to its popularity.
Some industry stories maintain that the mass
popularisation of athleisure started with yoga
pants, and particularly with the brand Lululemon.
The company was perhaps the first to actively
produce athleisure garments and blur the lines
SOME INDUSTRY STORIES
MAINTAIN THAT THE MASS
POPULARISATION OF
ATHLEISURE STARTED
WITH YOGA PANTS.
between athletic wear and casual wear. It is also
known to have later popularised the segment to
a great extent and, in fact, has become a market
leader in the premium and luxury segments. (The
popularity of the company has grown six-fold in
the last 10 years.)
A key reason for the success and popularity
of Lululemon and the athleisure segment in
general is quite obvious—creature comfort. And
while athletic wear as casual dressing has been
popularised since the 1970s due to the advent of
sports branding and celebrity athletes, it was only
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