It’s no surprise that athleisure wear has become a staple in many men’s wardrobes. After the majority of us stayed at home in our comfiest clothes for 18 months, most of us aren’t ready to leave that comfort behind. Combining comfort with fashion is possible, and it’s something that we’ve seen over the past few decades with mixed success. But how can you take influence from the age of leg warmers and bring it to the 21st century? Read on to how you can style men’s athleisure for work.
Athleisure vs streetwear – what’s the difference?
The term athleisure is defined as ‚casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use.‘ So to break it down, can you wear it to the gym and a casual office without looking out of place? It goes without saying that lyrca does not fit into this category – nobody wants to see skintight on Bill from accounts, do they? On the other hand, streetwear such as cargo trousers, jeans and chinos would not work if you wanted to go on a run.
That said, we’re starting to see both on the catwalk nowadays as athleisure becomes even more prominent. It’s no surprise seeing as according to athleisure trend statistics, the market has been ‚on track to be worth £6.7 billion over the next five years in the UK‘ We’ve also seen the likes of Nike work with Matthew Williams, Robert Geller and Lulu Lemon, and others hit the catwalk to show that you don’t need to choose between the two.
Throwing it back to the eighties
We all remember the eighties, lots of neon, lots of shoulder pads and an explosion of athleisure for the everyday man. While the term ‚athleisure‘ was actually first used just before in 1979, the trend picked up speed in the eighties and nineties. In both eras, full tracksuits were the height of fashion with stylish trainers (Air Jordan’s anyone?). Thankfully athleisure has come on a little bit since then.
While taking elements of the trend such as jogging bottoms, casual bomber jackets, and high top trainers were a blessing, they have a new look and style for 2021. We wanted to share with you just some of the ways you can incorporate athleisurewear into your everyday wardrobe.
Five trends you don’t want to miss
Tailored tracksuit bottoms
Tracksuits have moved on very far since the eighties and nineties. Long gone are the baggy trousers of the eighties and nineties, and instead tailored, smart tracksuit bottoms are now an excellent way of introducing athleisure into your wardrobe.
Athleisure shorts
Perhaps the most versatile, particularly in warmer weather. These are not only cooling, but normally fabric that is used will have added stretch for comfort as well as being absorbent without being too thick.
Relaxed jacket
A jacket that you can wear from the gym to the office and vice versa. Often lightweight and breathable but may also contain material that will protect from rain, wind, etc. These are usually common in darker colours so that they can match more outfits.
Smart hoodie
We’re not talking about the beloved university hoodie that you’ve had for a decade. These are sleek and stylish hoodies, some of which will use sweat resistant material and have a distinct style. We have also seen the development of technology within clothes such as lights, and we may well see fitness trackers within clothes becoming more commonplace.
Performance tee
Created using smart material that is breathable, light and perfect for both a session at the gym or a day at the office. You can also get these in a variety of colours to inject a bit of your own personality. Wear this with jeans, shorts or tracksuit bottoms.
There we have it, a few athleisure trends to get you started as you dip your toe into the latest way to be comfortable, casual and cool all at once. That said, make sure before you head into your office head to toe in your best-tailored bottoms and hoodie, make sure that it’s got the athleisure vibe!
Author Bio:
Joan Calabia operates as the Director of Brand Marketing for Dockers® Europe at Levi Strauss & Co. Joan’s experience spans the intricacies of marketing operations to creating immersive consumer experiences. He continues to lead the brand direction adapting to the new generation of casual consumers in our era, while maintaining the California cool lifestyle that is heritage to the brand.