Athleisure: What’s next, sweatpants at work?

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Kemea Smith, GoLocalPDX Contributor

According to NPD, “activewear" sales accounted for $33.7 billion Photo Credit: ejmc via Compfight cc

Athleisure is bringing sweatpants, leggings, yoga pants, and sports bras outside of the gym and into places like restaurants, college campuses, and retail stores. The new fashion term coined by Instyle Magazine, “athleisure,” basically means athletic clothing that can be considered appropriate outside of the gym.

Outdoorsy and active city that it is, Portland is a hotbed for athleisure's casual style.

Athleisure is muscling out some wardrobe staples, too.

The American classic - blue denim jeans - is moving towards the back of major stores, while tight leggings and stretch denim pants are showcased on mannequins in all their spandex glory. The activewear trend features clothing with material such as mesh, elastic, spandex, and Dri- FIT technology.

“Activewear sales accounted for $33.7 billion, representing 16 percent of the total apparel market,” according to the NPD group, which tracks retail trends. They also found that the top three uses for activewear are for everyday use, school and exercise, but that wearing athletic apparel for exercise has actually decreased while wearing athletic wear for school increased.

Athletic wear powerhouse Adidas has been on the athleisure trail since collaborating with Stella McCartney in 2004. McCartney’s collections for Adidas feature frilly dresses like the “Barricade Dress” and a black and white “Run Print Parka.”

Nike’s new Fall Style Guide features loose fit training pants, and cotton thermal hoodies with asymmetrical zip closures.

Portland has great clothing stores with a wide variety of chic jackets, printed leggings and versatile dresses if you're looking to rock the athleisure look.

Camping store Next Adventure has a versatile black Prana Solana Dress that can be turned into a skirt, has moisture-managing properties, and is currently on sale for $45.

There are also plenty of activewear stores in the Pearl district such as Oregon-based Lucy, a clothing company founded by former Nike executives. Lucy has the “Do Everything” collection that promotes wearing activewear when dancing, lunging, stretching and wandering.

Finally, local clothing store Evolve showcases the best high quality made in the USA activewear.

“[Evolve] believe[s] the best workout clothing is the kind that looks great in the gym, or out running errands,” according to the company's website.

Their flowy floral Onzie cardigan is made with lightweight material and is perfect for the beach or after a workout.

Photo Credit: ejmc via Compfight cc (image cropped)