The Rise of Activewear

  As a Pilates instructor and fashion lover, there is often a struggle in choosing what to wear to both workout and teach. Wanting to look serious about exercise without losing my own personal style, I turn to brands such as Fabletics and Lulu Lemon to convey both sides of my teaching personality.

                Many brands have introduced activewear into their existing garment lines. H&M, Express, the Gap, and Forever 21 have all created new pieces to accommodate the ever growing need for stylish activewear. Collaborations between famous designer and sports brands are also a budding industry niche; Stella McCartney has a partnership with Adidas, Armani and Reebock created a special edition line, and Swarovski created sneakers in collaboration with Nike and Sabrina Dehoff. Net-a-Porter has even opened a new activewear channel, Net-a-Sporter, to bring in the active customer.

                At a lower price point than designer collaboration, brands such as Lulu Lemon, Athleta, The Gap, and Cory Vines are dominating the market with their stylish prints, changing silhouettes, and new iterations on the activewear staple pieces. For those who aren’t quite able to afford the average industry price point, H&M, Forever 21, and Express offer affordable and stylish pieces.  New brands such as Fabletics also offer 50% off of first purchases, with the option to become a brand member with perks such as personalized outfits and rewards toward purchases.

Coming a long way from the Juicy Tracksuits of the 2000’s, activewear seems to be a new and lasting portion of the fashion industry. People are able to sweat in style, looking and feeling good.