There’s no ignoring the new trend for Athleisure wear with brands whipping up their own ranges of sporty casual separates aplenty. It’s all about wearing performance and activewear – those items you’d usually reserve for the gym or for a pilates class – in your everyday wardrobe. Taking those athletic pieces out and about, day to day, as you would your favourite jeans.
Personally, I’m embracing the look. How often does the fashion world champion something so practical and easy to wear? These items are seriously comfortable and charmingly sensible. Athleisure wear just makes sense.
Let’s face it. Our lives are speeding up rapidly and more and more we’re looking for those life hacks, those tricks and tweaks we can adopt to make things just that little bit easier. These days I find that if my weekend is all about haring around, doing chores, running errands, and (hopefully) squeezing in a gym visit, then grabbing a pair of sports leggings, a soft sports bra and cotton layers on top is way easier than faffing about with my smarter weekend wardrobe. It’s a throw-on-and-go mentality. By blending my trusty boyfriend coat with a yoga top, leggings, best handbag, go-to weekend scarf and New Balance trainers I can go from sports club to supermarket to coffee shop seamlessly.
So, who’s doing it right? White Stuff, that quintessential British lifestyle brand we’ve all come to love has just launched its Active Stuff range. The 18 piece capsule collection spans bras, vests, leggings and hoodies that you can really move in. Super soft fabrics, details like high waists (designed for real women with real curves) and sports bras so comfy you can keep them on all day long.
Beyonce’s high street range Ivy Park is a new go-to of style insiders looking for an affordable, cult option.
Gap’s leggings, shorts and tops are spot on if you’re in the market for something statement making. The spring/summer 2016 collection focusses on optical prints, mint green hues and flashes of neon. Of course there’s a big helping of Gap grey marl and classic black, but be brave and use the brighter pieces to amp up your tonal staples. I spied these new GapFit designs at a preview, they’ll be available in March and below is a round up of Gap’s athleisure hits that you can shop now.
Lindex is a fairly new contender on the Athleisure wear front, and you won’t be disappointed when it comes to design. Colour blocking is the Lindex thing and they’ve nailed it. The prices are appealing too, with vest tops from just £14.99. There’s also an array of fine knitwear, perfect for throwing on top, in zesty greens and pale pinks. Check out the Best Athleisure Buys From Lindex online now.