Though the shift to comfortable footwear is being witnessed for a long time, it is more recent that the comfort bug has shifted consumers’ preferences in clothing with greater emphasis on what is being commonly coined as ‘Athleisure’ garments. With accelerated demand for comfortable clothing sale for yoga pants and other activewear has increased by 7 per cent to US $ 33.6 billion in the US in less than a years’ time. Many retailers have taken a note of this growing change and many chains ranging from Macy’s Inc. to Urban Outfitters are pushing deeper into the category.
With stagnant wage growth and slowdown in mall traffic, the US apparel industry is still seeing one category thrive, i.e. Athleisure, which combines athletic and leisurewear. An increasing number of women are ‘ditching’ jeans or slacks for yoga pants and dressy sweat pants; men are also not far behind, making hoodies and sneakers as their new workwear. Many apparel companies in order to cash into the growing trend are introducing ‘athleisure’ to their line-ups. “The yoga pants and outdoor jackets originally designed for more technical athletic pursuits are being worn on daily basis. Now they have a crossover appeal,” informs David McGoldrick, Research Associate, Euromonitor.
Active or idle, consumers are lapping up ‘athleisure’. So much so that fitness-inspired togs are among the hottest trends driving America’s apparel market. Comfortable, affordable, versatile and increasingly stylish, activewear is no longer just for the gym. Sleek hoodies and stretch pants have become acceptable attire at many offices, not to mention restaurants and bars. And sporting them can create the sensation of being well and sporty. “It’s like diet pills in a bottle,” explains Marshal Cohen, Chief Industry Analyst at The NPD Group. “When you buy a treadmill, you feel healthy even if you never use it,” he adds.
According to Piper Jaffray, Lululemon, a yoga-inspired athletic company, has helped pioneer yoga pants as leisurewear and has been at the forefront of the shift from traditional leisure clothes to comfortable stretchy pants as yoga has increasingly become mainstream. GAP has also increased its Athleta sales and also raised the number of stores (expected to cross 100). Not far behind are Nike, Under Armour and Adidas, who have introduced new line of pliable pants and moisture-wicking tank tops that can be worn throughout the day.
Many retailers have seen increasing gains by adding athleisure lines amongst which is Footlocker, the largest sneaker chain, which has added more athletic apparels such as sports bra and posted a 7 per cent total gain. At GAP, the same-store sales of Old Navy showed an increase of 4 per cent due to addition of cropped track pants and tank tops. Under Armour has also credited the athleisure trend with fuelling growth, when the company posted its 17th straight quarter of increasing revenue by more than 20 per cent.
Though the growing sportswear and leisurewear trend has attracted many new retailers but a few traditional retailers are also planning to get into action. The Swedish retailer H&M has launched a new sportswear line focussed on ‘functionality and comfort’ that features yoga tank tops and sports tights while Macy’s is in the midst of opening Finish Line shops featuring athletic footwear, apparel and accessories at more than 450 of its department stores.
While the US women’s apparel sales rose 1 per cent in the 12 months ended in February, activewear increased 9 per cent to US $ 14.5 billion, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc.
The size of the US market for workout clothes grew by 5 per cent a year on average, from roughly US $ 54 billion to US $ 68 billion, according to analysts at Barclays.
Further giving this category a much needed push are consumers, especially teenagers, who are ditching their denims for stretchy pants. According to a study by Piper Jaffray, leggings (and yoga pants from Lululemon) were ranked as the most popular trend amongst female teens while Nike was the No.1 brand among teen boys. “The American market is about cool things that work. It’s a blend of sports and lifestyle, sports products that also have a street appeal and that is what we also see developing into Europe,” claims Bjorn Gulden, CEO, Puma. Piper Jaffray found that 13 per cent of teenagers listed a denim company as their favourite brand, down from 20 per cent in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of teenagers who prefer an athletic brand surged from 2 per cent to 14 per cent.
Not far behind are luxury brands who are also eyeing this trend as Christian Dior has unveiled sneaker-inspired pumps for its fall ready-to-wear line whereas online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter unveiled a channel devoted exclusively to high-fashion athletic looks named Net-a-Sporter. It debuted with 36 brands in 11 sporting disciplines and features Stella McCartney’s popular line of Adidas sportswear, as well as splurges like US $ 1,570 cashmere track pants from avant-garde designer Rick Owens. “We spotted a gap in the market for being a one-stop shop for workoutwear, where fashion meets function and where performance and style are equally valued,” says senior buyer Candice Fragis.
Following closely the trend, celebrity singer Beyoncé has formed a 50-50 joint venture with Topshop to produce an athletic streetwear brand. This trend is surely catching on like fire with huge variety in the market such as comfy pants to tank tops, which leaves consumers spoilt for choices. “Consumers have and will continue to want versatility, to look great everywhere, in the gym, on the street, in class,” concludes Henry Stafford, President of Under Armour North America.
