What are you most often doing when you put on workout clothes?
If you’re like me, the answer probably isn’t “working out.”
If you’re like 60% of Americans who are working from home, you’re actually working in workout clothes more than you’re working out in them.
Athleisure is a trend that has been on the rise for a long time, both as workout clothes that look good and as comfortable clothes for day-to-day wear. This year, however, it has grown beyond anyone’s expectations, evidenced both by the prevalence of sweatpants and leggings at your local grocery store and decisions by major retailers like Gap and American Eagle Outfitters to focus on their athleisure lines over others.
What are some of the main factors that have made athleisure so popular this year?
1. Comfort
If there is one thing that 2020 trends have in common, it’s comfort. From our grocery purchases to the ads we prefer, it seems like we are all in pursuit of things that make us feel cozy and secure instead of like taking additional risks. Because of the multitude of stressors we’ve experienced as a society, it makes sense that wherever possible, comfort would become the priority.
With many of the pants-required events of the year canceled or postponed – like in-person work meetings, weddings, or conferences – there’s no need to worry about real pants. Instead, it’s all about looking professional from the keyboard up. So, why not be as comfortable as possible?
2. Affordability
Who wants to shell out $80 for a pair of slacks that no one will probably even see when they could buy 4 new pairs of yoga pants instead? People who can afford to save right now are doing so in droves, driving the national savings rate up to 33.7% in April and keeping it hovering between 14-20% since then. If you’re pinching pennies, it makes sense to stick with clothing that will be comfortable, durable, and easy to care for properly, and most athleisure beats business attire on all of those counts.
3. Versatility
From yoga pants to joggers, athleisure can go from bed, to couch, to Zoom call, to back in bed, seamlessly transitioning between all the core parts of quarantine life. Before this year, many American adults essentially had 3 separate wardrobes: one for work, one for going out, and one for chilling at home. Now, all three of those wardrobes are combining into a new style that is comfortable, coordinated, and can easily be made professional enough for video calls.
This versatility saves time, money, and laundry for the average consumer, making it a really appealing option! Plus, while many of us are spending more time at home, I don’t know anyone who wants to spend a chunk of that time changing their outfits.
Between the comfort, affordability, and versatility of athleisure, it’s easy to see why sweatpants and yoga pants have become a go-to choice for many people this year – myself included.