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 Workout clothes for women, once relegated to the back of the closet,
are moving to the front of the fashion scene.
Yoga pants are the new jeans, neon sports bras have become the "it"
accessory and long athletic socks are hipper than high heels.
"I've actually had more excitement buying workout gear than normal
jeans and dresses," says Amanda Kleinhenz, 27, who wears workout
gear both in and outside of the gym in Cleveland. "I want to look
good."
Blame it on the push by many Americans toward a more active
lifestyle. Or call it an extension of the nation's fascination with
fashion. Either way, these days jogging suits are just as likely to
be seen on a runway in New York as a treadmill in Texas.
In fact, sales of workout gear are growing faster than sales of
everyday clothing — by a lot. Spending on workout clothes jumped 7
percent to $31.6 billion during the 12-month period that ended in
August from the same period a year ago. That compares with a 1
percent rise in spending for other clothing to about $169.2 billion.
But these aren't cheap cotton T-shirts and spandex jumpsuits. Top
designers like Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney and Alexander Wang all
rolled out fitness chic clothing lines, with everything from $50
leggings to $125 zip-front hoodies and $225 long john sweatpants.
And big nationwide retailers like Gap, Forever 21, Victoria Secret
and Macy's have fitness lines, too.
"Active has become an important part of what customers are wearing,"
says Karen Hoguet, chief financial officer at Macy's, which is
expanding its active wear label to 400 stores from 160. "Sometimes
it's for athletic endeavors. Sometimes it's just to run errands."
This is the latest evolution in fitness fashion. Sweatpants and tees
were the hallmark of athletic clothing for decades. That changed
with the invention of spandex in 1959, then again with the aerobics
craze of the 1980s when tights, leotards, legwarmers and nylon track
suits became popular.
Athletic gear giants like Nike, Reebok and Adidas were popular for
years as synthetic material like Gore Tex and Lyrcra gained
popularity because of their performance qualities. Then, in the late
1990s, it became cool to wear workout clothes everywhere after the
Lululemon athletic chain opened and gained a loyal following of
fitness enthusiasts willing to shell out $100 for yoga pants.
Annie Georgia Greenberg, a New York editor for style blog
Refinery29, says she noticed the trend at the New York Fashion week
in September as more people were choosing shoes like the neon Nike
Free Flyknit over designer pumps. Greenberg herself paired a "Gold's
Gym" t-shirt and Adidas Samba sneakers with a two-piece bejeweled
suit — something she wouldn't have done a couple years ago.
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"It is almost cooler to be comfortable and athletic and feel like
yourself than to be overly glam," Greenberg says.
Fitness chic also sends a message to others that you are living a
healthy lifestyle, says Noreen Naroo, senior creative director for
apparel at fitness brand Under Armour. Recently, Naroo did a mile
run at her daughter's elementary school with leggings, a sports bra,
t-shirt and sneakers. She changed from her sneakers into boots to go
to work.
"This is exactly what women are doing — running between work and
play," Naroo says.
Nike says that's one reason its women's business has added $1
billion in revenue since fiscal 2010 to reach $4 billion in fiscal
2013. It's been fueled in part by demand for fashionable workout
gear like its leggings with compression technology that is made to
be flattering. Another hit has been its "tights of the moment,"
limited edition running tights with geometric or neon prints.
And to capitalize on the popularity of classes like Barre and
Pilates in which people usually go barefoot, Nike says it created a
lightweight foot wrap called the Studio Wrap which helps with
hygiene and slippage, but also looks stylish. "Women don't want to
compromise performance or style," says Heidi O'Neill, Nike's vice
president and general manager of women's training.
CrossFit, a high intensity group training program, also has inspired
fitness chic with brightly colored knee-high socks, colorful tanks
and accessories like headbands and compression arm bands. "We're
seeing fitness become a fashion look," said Chris Froio, vice
president of fitness and training at Reebok, which sponsors the
CrossFit Games.
Danielle Duffy, 31, wears CrossFit t-shirts and sparkly silver
headbands or customized pink-and-purple Reebok shoes both in the gym
and out hanging out with pals.
"Sometimes we'll dress up in normal clothing ... but mostly we're
the sweaty girls in CrossFit clothes hanging out in a bar," says
Duffy, who lives in Washington, D.C. "We own it and we're going to
be those people."
[Associated
Press; MAE ANDERSON, AP Retail Writer]
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