Blame the digital age and its insistence that we see every aspect and angle of celebrity life, down to what they wear and do during their leisure hours, or blame the rising demand for comfortable, wearable clothes that eschew the archaic mantra that we must suffer for fashion – whomever or whatever you decide to pin this on, there’s no denying that athleisure is now the biggest fashion trend of 2016. Simply put, athleisure is a combination of “athletic” and “leisure”, which may seem obvious, but what isn’t instantly understandable with this newfangled fashion term is the overwhelming response it has enjoyed. Who wants to wear their sports bra out in public? Apparently, millions and millions of women! Or more accurately, they want to wear chic, sporty clothes that they adapt to their busy lifestyles, where a day at the office is as fast-paced as an afternoon at the gym.
Not only have major athleticwear companies like Nike and Adidas enjoyed a boost in sales as a result of the rise of athleisure, but other fashionable brands are hopping on board as well. While some of the athleisure output comes from collaborations, as in the case of Kanye West’s repeatedly sold-out ‘Yeezy’ releases in partnership with Adidas, much of it is the result of enormous undertakings where brands are spitting out full ranges of athleisure-wear on par with their existing lines, as in the case of Tory Burch and Tory Sports. For the shopper, the appeal of athleisure is a no-brainer: comfortable shapes, flexible materials, and the ability to go from fashionable look to functional utility in no time at all.
Browse Savoir Flair’s gallery for a closer look at some of the best emerging athleisure lines, with links to the full range that will illustrate just how far designers are going to embrace the trend.
Nike has always been an athleticwear company, but most recently it branched into more stylish athleisure options with a NikeLab x Sacai collaboration, which resulted in stunning pieces like this ‘Tech Fleece Pleated Back’ jacket.
Rebecca Minkoff’s new athleisure line offers chic staples for the girl-on-the-go, like this stylish combination featuring her must-have ‘Livingston Windbreaker’.
Mara Hoffman, the queen of colorful bohemian prints, joined the fray with a new activewear line, which includes fetching items like this printed poncho.
A complete look from Tory Burch’s new ‘Tory Sport’ athleisure line will overwhelm you with amazing options. Burch didn’t just embrace the trend with a line extension; she went full tilt into launching a fully realized new site to accompany Tory Sport.
Typically, we don’t associate denim with athleisure, but the Replay Jeans campaign for its new athleisure range helped change our minds about that.
Drake’s brand extension, October’s Very Own (OVO), was ready to meet the new demand for athleisure with the launch of its first-ever womenswear line, which includes chic track suits, fur-lined outerwear, and more. The pieces quickly sold out online.
Derek Lam’s new comprehensive ’10 Athleta’ line offers the same chic minimalism as his ready-to-wear label, but with pieces that are comfortable and flexible enough to keep up with the varied demands of your busy schedule.
After noticing that the smallest sizes in its menswear collections repeatedly sold out the fastest, Kith realized that women were buying up the men’s line. It responded by releasing its first-ever womenswear line, which is oriented toward the athleisure trend. You can view the newly released line, here.
In response to the rising demand of wearable, stylish athletic clothes, Abercrombie & Fitch released a new athleisure line that fused sporty outerwear and street-style separates.
