One of the biggest trends in the fashion and retail worlds today is the rise and domination of “athleisure” – casual athletic-inspired apparel that can be worn in non-athletic settings. Think of women wearing Nike tights throughout the day and during a night out. Yes, the clothes are comfortable. Yes, they’re flattering. And yes, wearing tights during the week is like the closest thing to wearing sweatpants. But, here’s the thing. It seems to be the case that everyone wants to partake in the trend, but few people actually want to put in the work of being a part of it. The “work” I speak of is the testing of your gear. It’s fine if you are part of the portion of people who could care less and prefer to just look good. But I challenge you to break-in your product and gain a better understanding of why it may or may not be a fitting choice for you. When the flyknits first dropped, my toenails bled right through the fabric because I exhaustingly ran them into the ground when I trained for my first marathon. And ever since, those shoes became a symbol of a great moment in time… an honest struggle spent while pounding pavement. Sure enough, those are now my running shoe of choice.
Blind consumption can be fun, but it’s also partly foolish. Maybe even lazy. Move a muscle. Test your endurance. Have an opinion on it. Shame on you if you wear sweat-wicking fabric and never even break a sweat in it. Why look the part of an athlete when you can actually be one? There’s a difference between those who actually sweat the style and those who just pretend to and look like it. Don’t let the Instagram ‘fitspo’ fool you. The look can be bought but it’s not all the same.
What are you thoughts on the athleisure trend?
