Athleisure

Athleisure is a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as during work, trips to school, or other casual or social occasions. Athleisure outfits are yoga pants, tights and leggings that "look like athletic wear" and are characterized as "fashionable, dressed up sweats and exercise clothing". The idea is that gym clothes are supposedly making their way out of the gym and becoming a larger part of people's everyday wardrobes. By some accounts, the athleisure trend grew out of women wearing yoga pants. Another account suggests that the trend came about because people could wear them for multiple occasions without having to change, which meant greater convenience, since people did not have to carry an extra gym outfit on the way to the office, for example.

Reports in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal describe the athleisure market as growing, displacing typical workwear styles, and cutting in to sales of jeans, with a market size in 2014 as $35 billion, representing an 8% increase from the previous year. According to one estimate, the athleisure market, including footwear, was $270 billion in 2016, and was estimated to grow by 30% by the year 2020.

The athleisure market for casual athletic clothing, which took off a few years ago, also has become increasingly crowded with big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, as well as fast-fashion brands joining the fray—often at cheaper prices. An analyst estimated that the athleisure market was not slowing down, with much competition and pressure on various retail outlets including sporting goods stores.

While the trend was started by women, men are increasingly turning to athleisure wear as well. For men's fashion, athleisure wear began with luxury sweatpants and then moved to the upper torso region with "dressy/sporty versions of men’s blazers, varsity jackets, pea coats and sweaters".

Research has led to new fibers developed specifically for odor reduction, sweat-wicking, stretchability to conform to the body's shape, breathability to allow air in and out, and protection from dirt. Some clothing designs permit selected parts of the clothing to allow more breathability while other parts can have greater tension, perhaps as a way to aid posture. A type of athleisure is sometimes called "technical wear" which describes clothes that are more suitable for wearing to the office while being comfortable.

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Wikipedia