Athleisure. You have probably heard the term a lot recently. It may come off as a new trend, but in reality, you have been seeing people wearing athleisure ensembles your whole life probably. In fact, you probably wear athleisure yourself plenty. 

But what is athleisure? As the portmanteau name implies, it is the happy marriage of sportswear with leisure clothing. Whether it be a crew neck tee, a pair of tennis shoes or a slim quarter zip pullover, you probably have some athleisure in your closet.

Simply put, it is clothes that first appeared in sports. Over time as people realized how comfy it is, people started wearing it for leisure. With its rise in popularity, now companies specifically design clothing to fit the athleisure bill. 

What is the Appeal of Athleisure?

There are many things about athleisure that are appealing. For one thing, it is comfy. More important than just being comfortable, however, is that you can hit the gym or play sports in it. Good athleisure is just as good for lounging as it is for going for a bike ride or any other physical activity.

People understand the importance of fitness more than ever and it shows. Not just in statistics regarding the younger generations, but in the kind of clothes that have become popular. Athleisure is not just popular because it looks so chic, it is because people are more active than ever.

Not only that, but the modern workplace is changing. Where a suit and tie may have been the norm before, now, a polo shirt may just cut it. Some workplaces are even more lax than that and you wouldn’t stick out in sweats and a crew neck tee.

How Can I Benefit from Athleisure?

Besides looking more stylish than before, there are many benefits of wearing athleisure. For example, most of it uses blends of fabrics meant to move with you and allow freedom. This equates to comfort and function both in the gym or at home. 

Many people appreciate the breathability of athleisure clothes. It’s easy to forget that sweatpants were once for, well, sweating in, but they were. Today, sweats and other athleisure uses venting to help cool you off and keep you going.

What Makes the Perfect Athleisure Outfit?

There is no ironclad answer to that. It depends greatly on your own style and needs. The great thing about athleisure is that there is so much freedom and variety in combinations that you can choose. Here are some examples of staples of athleisure:

• Polo shirts
• Zip-up hoodies
• Quarter zip pullovers
• Yoga pants
• Stretch pants
• Track pants

Carefully combining any of these options can land you with a great look. It may take some trial and error before you master your own combinations for athleisure styling. Don’t fret! That is normal and different things work better for different people.

Keep your eyes peeled and see what other people are wearing. That does not mean that you have to mimic it, but it doesn’t hurt in getting ideas.

Athleisure is Here to Stay

The word “trend” gets thrown around a lot with athleisure. Even I say it. However, perhaps trend is the wrong word. The fact is that, sure it is quite trendy, but it is here to stay. Unlike other trends that come and go before you can even jump on the bandwagon, athleisure has staying power.

There will never be a time where people won’t flock to something that is as comfy as it is stylish. Look into athleisure and see about making your own killer combo that will turn heads!