FEATURE
ATHLEISURE HAS BECOME
POPULAR AS A PRACTICAL,
AFFORDABLE, TRENDY, AND HIGHLY
CUSTOMISABLE ALTERNATIVE.
in the late 1990s that technology for athleisure
became more cheaply and conveniently available
than its professional counterparts.
AN ACTIVE EVOLUTION
With evolving production technology,
manufacturers are now able to focus on the
comfort facet of clothing, and are making
products that are lightweight, airy, and
waterproof. These improvements have ensured
that garments remain odour-resistant, flexible,
and easy to clean and maintain. Combined
with the rising trend towards urban styling,
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I APPAREL I
December 2019
consciousness towards fitness, and desire for
high fashion, it didn’t take long for athleisure to hit
it off with the public at large, in particular with the
premium segment. In its current form, athleisure
has become popular as a practical, affordable,
trendy, and highly customisable alternative,
especially with younger people.
While many trends have come and gone over
the past decades, athleisure has somehow
remained relevant and also thrived. The reasons
why athleisure has grown from being a novelty
to a fully fledged market are of unique value
to business. For example, the manufacturing
and production processes of athleisure have
been constantly evolving to ensure uniform
advancement in product quality. Given that
these are garments that are reliant on technical
and synthetic materials, athleisure has been on
the frontier of offering a distribution channel for
innovations in these domains. This feature alone
has made this category unique as compared to
most fashion trends. They are also suitable
for nearly every weather, making them even
more appealing.
Brands in this segment are constantly
innovating their products and introducing new
fibres that increase the versatility and comfort in
clothing. This approach has led to a constantly
delighted, satisfied, and loyal consumer base.
With all these advantages, the segment has not
lost its core focus—to give the customer what
they want, i.e. comfortable garbs in athletic
styles. This has resulted in products becoming
increasingly popular among people who may or
may not be fitness enthusiasts but simply want to
enjoy the product for its essential attributes. This,
too, has popularised these garments well outside
casual circles and into workplaces as well as
social settings.