Trend Report: Athleisure

Fashion & Style

Apr 12

I always feel like I find myself mentioning how at one point I sat writing this very blog (or some version of it) and making a point to say how leggings weren’t everyday wear and I wouldn’t ever go anywhere in them. That was before fitness became a huge part of my life, there was a global pandemic where comfort became the largest priority just behind not contracting or giving someone a virus, and I was still traumatized by the few years around 2006 when we all decided Capri leggings under dresses was a fine thing to do. That last one kinda gives me nightmares to this day and just typing it right now is bringing back a flashback of one particular outfit I absolutely loved to wear. Barf.

These days Athleisure wear is truly something worth embracing. Whether you love the comfort of it or simply the necessity of it Athleisure and activewear have become a huge part of the style lexicon. It’s certainly not a new idea either when you think of all the iconic images of Princess Diana and bike shorts. But the one great thing is how stylish it has become. Not only are there tons of brands and designers creating stylish options but they are versatile. There is honestly no shortage of times I spot a girl whether at the gym, the farmers market or even on Instagram who is wearing a cute, stylish athleisure outfit. I personally find having a good outfit to be a huge part of confidence-boosting and motivating me to work out. I frankly don’t feel like I have to sell anyone on the idea of Athleisure because it is such a huge trend, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Athleisure’s definition has changed quite a bit over the years. And just like my little story, if you went back and told yourself you’d be wearing sweatpants outside to run errands or wearing leggings to brunch, past you probably wouldn’t believe it. These closet items were once considered social faux pas. Now they are just everywhere, especially after the stay-at-home orders where all of us just kind of stopped dressing to make a statement. Do you think my house plants cared about my fire Zoom meeting outfit? No. Essentially the rise in the trend and the explosion surrounding it has come from our increased desire for comfort. Now that we are returning to our way of life we are finding ways to be comfortable, a little sporty, and still meeting that expectation from society to look our best. This means athleisure has grown from meaning simply wearing your workout clothes from yoga class to errands to being more about the entire outfit as a whole. Pairing leggings and joggers with heels, leather jackets, and other statement-making pieces. Just like many other trends, they evolve over time and athleisure is no different. How we look at it today likely won’t be the same 6 months from now.

Wearing athleisure is best done with pieces that fit your comfort and style. But I thought I would share some basic inspiration and a few of my favorite outfits.