Athleisure Here to Stay – It’s Now in the Dictionary

By Sharmin Musca on August 31, 2016 in Other

Dressing in stylish workout gear all day, whether for exercising or not, has become one of the most persistent clothing trends of the past couple of years. You may call it comfortable, or you may call it plain lazy, but now, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it’s officially called ‘athleisure’.

While it’s defined as ‘casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use’, athleisure is more than simply wearing regular gym clothing as part of your everyday wardrobe. It’s about finding items that fuse an athletic inspired silhouette and performance fabrics with the versatility of casual wear. Think Alexander Wang’s sports luxe collections, the Kanye West x Adidas Originals collaboration, or local label We Are Handsome’s graphically printed Lycra oufits.

Athleisure has even permeated traditional festival wear. If the recent Glastonbury Festival is anything to go by, this trend is taking over from the usual boho identikit accessories like flower crowns, feathered headdresses and bindis. This year’s festival fashion was more about retro 90s sports and indie references, with revellers taking subtler cues from catwalk athleisure by the likes of French fashion house Chloé, as well as high street sports brands. Perhaps at Byron Bay’s Splendour In the Grass this month we’ll see more Adidas gazelles, sports bras worn as tops with printed leggings, and oversized logo hoodies – some of the key on-point pieces seen at Glastonbury in menswear and womenswear, alongside the festival staples of denim cut-offs and wellies.

Want to get your hands on some seriously stylish active wear? You don’t need to look far, as three great athleisure brands hail from our ‘hood:

1. The Upside – Founded by Jodhi Meares, this label embraces bodies of all shapes and sizes. It’s best known for its women’s range of refined prints and sleekly styled body-sculpting tights, signature street-chic muscle shirts and versatile hoodies. They now offer a menswear range inspired by urban city palettes and moody oceanic hues.

2. P.E. Nation – This street inspired women’s active wear label from local fave Pip Edwards blurs the line between street and sport, offering everything from retro bomber jackets and bike shorts to classic crops and leggings.

3. Vie Active – This luxury active wear brand was founded in Bondi and offers high-performance clothing made from a combination of sweat wicking compression fabrics and Australian Merino wool – technical and luxurious. Think sports bras designed for all shapes and leggings designed not to pinch and roll.

On the streets this month I found…

Name: Terry Biviano
Occupation: Shoe designer
Street Style: Terry wears a Maison Valentino dress, Bulgari bag and Terry Biviano shoes.

Name: Kathryn
Occupation: Mum
Street Style: Kathryn wears an H Brand jacket, 3.1 Phillip Lim bag, shirt from Country Road and Zara jeans.

Does your wardrobe create the right impression? Sharmin Musca Personal Stylist and Image Consultant can help: Sharmin@imageconcepts.com.au or 0405518155