ATHLEISURISM
photos by me
Fashion inspired by athletic wear has been around as long as humans started engaging in sporting and outdoor activities: rugby, tennis, basketball, golf, hunting, the list goes on and on. Ralph Lauren is a perfect example of a brand that has merged fashion with the great outdoors lifestyle. His vision was based around everything All-American. Lauren took inspiration from Native American culture, rugged cowboy, and safari to pedigreed collegiate. He was selling you on the look of that lifestyle, not necessarily clothes functional for those activities. One of my favorite brands that has successfully merged fashion and sport with a distinct Japanese aesthetic is Y-3. Y-3 is the collaboration between Yoji Yamamoto and Adidas that combines sportswear, androgyny, and avante garde design. The clothes, shoes, and accessories are uniquely designed with a more structural shape that is a committed look and probably far too pricey to become gym clothes.
In 2012, the now trendy way of wearing sportswear and athletic styled clothing as acceptable out-of-gym and work-out-mode fashion, started to silently infiltrate society. Brands incorporated sporty design elements to their collections and utilized fabrics like neoprene to convey the feeling of athleticism. Glossy editorials at that time featured athletic and sportswear mixed with high fashion. To present a cohesive visual story, the beauty aspect was left minimal, clean, and fresh. Makeup emphasized the plumped, flushness of dewy, spa-like skin and handsomely groomed brows, while hair was pulled back to provide a clean yet edgy look by either in slicked (notably wet, to mimic sexy and sweaty), dry, or braided fashion. Around the same time, sneakers, caps and streetwear also started to become acceptable in everyday wardrobe (and let me remind you the resurgence of 90’s fashion was quietly lurking underneath it all). The way I see it, all these trends were directly influenced by the rise of fitness and healthier lifestyles that called out a need for ease and functionality in clothes.
Fast forward to 2014, the industry came up with the term “athleisure” to define the trend as sports, active, gym wear worn as casual, leisure, and even work attire. My athletic friends snubbed their nose at it while I was thrilled that this was now legit. This meant I no longer felt a sense of guilt looming over my head when I’ve chosen to wear ankle-cuffed sweatpants in lieu of skinny jeans with my leather jacket. The two opposing forces that are fashionista vs. athlete and au naturale vs. glamour girl have finally compromised and united as one. Fashion elite, Karl Lagerfeld once famously said, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” Then after that quote, there was a sweatshirt by Uncle Karl for $235 on Net-a-Sporter. Sure, the history of sweatpants painted images in your mind that were lackluster, but you can’t deny that with the recent influx of exceptionally designed athletic wear, the stigma around sweatpants has waned. Pair it with heels and a nice knit and not only do you look cool but you’re also comfortable.
One probably would not have guessed that I was once on the Cross Country team in High School. Nor, would they have associated me with volleyball practice, kicking a soccer ball around and completing a Marine Corps obstacle course. I am here to tell you that all those activities DID happen. I was a tomboy. Shocking, I know. Coming from a southern, All-American, predominately white town, the idea of ‘beauty’ was very girl next-door and sporty. In fact, the prettiest and hottest girls in high school were heavily involved with sports (cheerleaders obviously included). While I enjoyed physical fitness and mild outdoor activities, my participation was subconsciously a way for me to fit into the All-American, girl next-door beauty standard. I’ve wanted to somehow merge the two concepts, to be stylish and sporty; to be an atheleisurist, but society deemed active wear and sweats reserved only for gym, sports, outdoor activities, Walmart, and kids that wore streetwear; thus leaving a fashion-crazed tomboy in juxtaposition.
Nineties fashion had a touch of what was to come with athleisure. Brands took on a mild athletic tone with a leisurely pursuit, e.g. Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and DKNY (early athleisurist’s included TLC, Sporty Spice, and Gwen Stefani) that combined with streetwear, was a signature style of that era. Then in 2000, Juicy Couture came along with those velour tracksuits... No comment. As a teenager at that time, my musical appreciation was diverse and I adopted signature styles from each to make my own. I admired Gwen Stefani’s glammed out beauty look paired with punk sportswear aesthetic, while TLC was able to keep their appeal crazy, sexy, cool with street styled sportswear. I was particularly keen to their appearances because these women had successfully figured out how to look stylish and sporty while still looking feminine.
At that time, midriff-baring was all the rage and wearing sports bras, CK, and TH undergarments with baggy jeans or track pants were really your only options to don an “athleisure” look. Now, thanks to fashion solidifying this trend in the last few years, fashion brands have either teamed up with athletic brands or have included an après sport collection to their line up. The emphasis on design and functionality has allowed women (and men) to wear any style of athletic wear and look fashionable. As a New Yorker, we are constantly on the quest to find the trend that gives us the ability to dress quickly for ‘leisurely’ activities, while providing an effortlessly, modern, comfortable, and stylish outfit without looking over or under dressed (tall order in fashion). Currently, we seemed to have found the answer in athleisure, and now I can proudly come out to you not as an exclusive athleisurist but someone that is pro movement. Either way, with new technology in fabrics and strong focus on design, there is enough functionality and fashion in sportswear to go from the gym-to-the-office-to-drinks that you could incorporate this trend into your wardrobe without looking dated or a slob.
Catherine McNeil for Vogue Mexico 2015, shot by James Macari.
image sources above: vogue.com and models.com