2017 Athleisure: Not just a passing fad.
ath lei sure 1.noun [ath-lee-zher, lezh-er] Casual, comfortable clothing designed for both exercise and everyday wear. Athleisure looks great whether you're working out or just running errands.
Rise of athleisure. Athleisure has filled a gap in the marketplace for stylish, comfortable athletic clothing that can be worn for multiple reasons: work, errands, exercise, travel, and relaxation. As office dress codes relax and attentive designers turn to more technical materials and sleeker lines, technical apparel or athleisure is moving from the gym to the office and everywhere in between. This is being spurred on by an increasingly health conscious consumer turning to exercise like running, yoga, or crossfit, rather than traditional team sports. The Nielsen Global Health and Wellness survey polled over 30,000 people and found that young consumers are most likely to be health conscious when compared to previous generations [1]. Athleisure is associated with a healthy, active, and vibrant lifestyle. Often people seeking this will gravitate towards clothing that aids in exhibiting these values. Athletic and savvy Millennials are demanding that their clothing be both multi-functional and attractive, both on the track and in the office. Athleisure s popularity over time. (Stats provided by GoogleTrends) From humble beginnings in the early 2000s, athleisure has grown from a term primarily used by industry insiders to a full-fledged lifestyle movement. Innovators in the athletic apparel space, like Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, and Under Armour jumped at the opportunity to take the technical apparel they were creating for athletes and leverage it for a broader base of consumers by making it more fashion-forward. This has led to a huge increase in trendy athletic wear that can be worn outside the gym.
In 2016, the athletic apparel market reached $45.9 billion, with 11% growth over 2015 [2] The global athleisure market was valued at over $83 billion, in 2016 [3] The global athleisure market is predicted to be valued at over $350 billion, by 2020 [3] Social proof. The rise of athleisure has been driven not only by increasing consumer consciousness about health and wellness, but by celebrities as well. Social media networks like Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are brimming with images of well-known personalities clad in trendy activewear. Top athletic apparel producers are partnering with celebrities to increase their exposure to the Millennial market.
Technical apparel is dominating the field. Despite the overall apparel market flattening in recent years, technical apparel such as athleisure is on the rise, making this an important part of the retail product mix. A study conducted by Deutsche Bank reports athletic apparel rose 4.1% between 2008 and 2015, while all other apparel remained nearly flat, raising only 0.2% during the same period [4]. Some industry experts have proposed that athleisure is cutting into profits for other types of clothing, such as denim, as we see these brands struggle to regain market share by designing more comfortable clothing to remain competitive. Figure 1: U.S Non-Athletic Apparel Growth, 2008-2012 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% (2.0%) (4.0%) (6.0%) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total Apparel Apparel (Ex-Sportswear) Source: Deutsche, Euromonitor
Brands and partnerships to watch for. Athleisure has become well established in the apparel industry, athletic giants like Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, and Puma creating collections that address market demand for fashionable, multi-use athletic wear. Even brands typically not associated with athletic apparel have climbed into the ring, with retailers like Gap, Topshop, H&M, and Dick s Sporting Goods offering athleisure to their consumers, often leveraging a celebrity or designer partnernership.
Athleisure won t be riding the bench anytime soon. Baby Boomers [7], apparel retailers need to provide clothing options that meet the needs of younger generations. Advances in technical fabrics and a societal relaxation of dress codes has given rise to apparel that is not only fashionable, but also comfortable and versatile. Athleisure s continued growth is a testament to a busy lives while enabling consumers to move seamlessly through their days, dressed in apparel that outshines the competition, Citations [1] Younger Consumers Are Trending Toward More Health-Conscious Eating: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elwood-d-watson/younger-consumers-are-tre_b_6632166.html [2] 1 Trend That Could Hurt Lululemon Athletica: https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/14/1-trend-that-could-hurt-lululemon-athletica.aspx [3] The Athleisure Trend is Here to Stay: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/10/06/the-athleisure-trend-is-here-to-stay/#7582535328bd [4] Overall apparel struggles under Athleisure s dominance: [5] http://www.sportswear-international.com/news/stories/us-mar- [7] ket-study-overall-apparel-struggles-under-athleisures-dominance-12037 [6] Ivy Park: http://www.ivypark.com [8] Outdoor Voices: https://www.outdoorvoices.com/pages/about-us
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