What is athleisure? The story of the style that brought sport to the catwalks

The athleisure trend started with people who went to the gym before or after work. So their everyday look often consisted partly of sportswear and partly of office wear. Designers realized that this could look really cool and started working on it.

The long and convoluted relationship between sportswear and formalwear – from the exterior design to the technical intricacies in creating materials and pieces – eventually gave rise to the style that has marked today’s main fashion trend.

Athleisure is a combination of the two words athletics and leisure, meaning ‘sport’ and ‘leisure’. This style helps to harmonize sportswear into an everyday closet. By the way, in Russia it is often called “sport-chic”.

From the tennis court to the international catwalk

Despite the fact that athleisure is a fairly new trend, the desire to combine two concepts, sport and leisure, was born in the late 19th century. In the 1870s, American fashion became obsessed with sports, and as the industry evolved, it responded to consumer demands.

People were looking for more practical clothes for their hobbies, such as playing tennis, golf or cycling. That’s when knitted closet items began to appear that could be worn in different combinations.

For example, it is believed that the tennis skirt was created by one of the famous sportswear designers, Frenchman Jean Patou. It was first worn by Olympic champion Suzanne Lenglen during the Wimbledon tournament in 1921. The dresses, cardigans and stockings she wore on and off the court made sportswear popular in Europe. In 1926, Vogue magazine wrote:

Three-quarters of the clothing offered in Paris is of the sporting style. Simple and practical items are increasingly moving out of the sphere of active pursuits and becoming part of everyday life.

Much later, in the 1980s, Donna Karan emphasized interchangeable simple items when she presented her “Seven Simple Things” line. The main idea behind the collection is that you can put together any look if you have the right set of basic pieces.

Couture sneakers and the pursuit of trends

According to another theory, the starting point of athleisure can be considered 2014, when Karl Lagerfeld’s fashion house put models in sneakers at the Fall-Winter 2014/2015 show. In the 2010s, hipbists (people who follow trends) took over, turning athletic pants, hoodies and other streetwear components into a high status symbol.

High fashion brands such as Chanel, Fendi and Prada have picked up on this trend and started creating designer leggings and branded sports bras from high quality materials.

What sets athleisure apart and why is it so popular?

In 2020, athleisure has become so strong that nowadays you won’t find a single fashion house that doesn’t present its vision of athleisure chic to the world.

In the complex intertwining of street and catwalk fashion, it’s hard to tell who is following and emulating whom. For example, in the last few seasons, designers have been actively interpreting once exclusively sporty pieces by rendering them in expensive materials. Jogging pants or joggers are one of the most popular items on the shows.

Today, athleisure style is defined by three key factors – material, fit and functionality.

Materials

What really differentiates today’s athleisure from its past is the technology that allows for the creation of performance-enhanced clothing. This is done using membrane fabrics such as polyester, nylon, viscose and spandex. These flexible materials have water repellent and windproof properties, yet remain breathable. In addition, they are virtually wrinkle-free. However, there are also natural fabrics, such as cotton, from which sweatshirts and T-shirts are sewn.

Silhouette

Athleisure combines two opposing ways of wearing clothes: loose and tight. Streamlined silhouettes draw attention to the figure and give the impression of “just out of the gym”. At the same time, you don’t have to be in shape to wear athleisure clothing. Voluminous hoodies, T-shirts and oversize pants offer increased comfort for everyone.