As the name suggests, athleisure fashion is basically the combination of athleticism and leisure clothing. Although both concepts are poles apart normally, the fashion of it relies heavily on adaptation; work, as you play, is the key. Be it Couchsurfing or cycling on the way to the cafe, your vetements are always ready to take on whatever action is needed. This billion dollar market is here to stay!
Suits
Normally wearing tracksuit pants to work might get you some time off or worse make you look like weight trainer but pair it with an equally rad jacket and you’ve got yourself an athleisure suit! Chuck the traditional wool and go for a fabric like a jersey for a two-piece suit and you get all the benefits of comfort and space that you need. Finish the ensemble with a Croc tee or something in the lines of a tennis tee to make a statement. For the women, an ensemble of juicy tracksuit pants with a Burberry jacket and leopard print pumps and gold jewellery creates the perfect leisure look. Swap the pumps with some high top sneakers to get active ready. Go for contrast colour as opposed to matching as they did in the 90s!
Pants
Just like with suits, athleisure pants category comprises of yoga pants, tracksuit pants, and the joggers. The clothing has to stick to your body and should be made out of ‘breathable’ fabric at the same time, and one needs to have a supportive waistband. Strong pants serve best when you want to take a break and do squats for about 2 mins. If anything, we can take fashion lessons from Ironman – Tony Stark character from the series. The bootcut tracksuit sans hoodie makes Robert Downey Junior ravishing as well as ready to fight crime.
For women, you can now pair your H&M joggers with a cool crop top and add on a bomber jacket to look both stylish and comfy. Sheer leggings can also make for the fashionable yet walk-friendly style. You can also take a book out of Gigi Hadid’s fashion files and cut open the sides of your joggers to give it a Jasmine from Aladin kind of look; called the glamleisure look, it is a spin off on athleisure with a whole lot of sass!
The newest sub-trend in athleisure is the sculpting shorts or the biker shorts. Pair it with hiking shoes to look date ready for adventurous time out.
Shoes
One of the highlights of athleisure trends is the padded loafer. With cotton pads fit into a formal loafer, it doubles up as both office and party wear. Nestled between formal and informal depending upon the colour, the soft pads on top and the rubbery texture of the sole gives you grip to run and absorbs the sweat. Velcro sneakers instead of traditional tie-ups and brogues with cut out spaces are also part of the trend. Pair it with a nice capri pants or culottes and you can always be ready to exercise.