Being stylish is cool.

That’s what most people would have you think anyways.

It’s a way to express yourself. This is all good and great, but have you ever felt overwhelmed with all of the choices out there? What’s your style? Will this stuff fit me (literally and figuratively)? The questions are endless.

Maybe you’re like us and prefer to only make this an issue once a day. Then enters the trend of “athleisure”, and BOOM (like magic) it happens. I am now able to wear one pair of pants ALL DAY. For every activity. I can ride my bike in them. I can do yoga in them. I can ride comfortably in my car in them. I can hike in them. Most importantly, I can wear them to work. The caveat here is that obviously with all of these activities there is room for the dreaded “swass” (swamp ass), so I do have to stay vigilant. Still better than stressing about outfits for the entire day.

In this blog we aim to make the case for “athleisure”- feel free to share with your boss if you’re catching flack at work for not being entirely up to dress code. But first, let’s start with a history of the trend.

The History of Athleisure

Millennials are synonymous with brunch, Bird scooters, and most importantly… athleisure. For all of the grief 20-somethings are given these days, we can all agree that this generation has given us that one beautiful gift. Athleisure is one of the best things since sliced bread… that’s been toasted and topped with an avocado, of course.

In recent years, this style has been taken to unthinkable heights. It’s by far the most popular form of clothing on the market. However, while the millennials surely helped give momentum to the craze, they most certainly didn’t start it.

For men, athleisure has everything to do with the popularity of sports. The first picture in this blog almost says it all. Golf is the granddaddy of all athleisure, but was fully popularized by many other sports. Especially when events began to be televised on a regular basis. Television became a household staple by the 70’s or so. As a result, fashion-forward sports stars became the focal point of every American living room. Think about Joe Namath. Broadway Joe had that ‘drip’ before any of our grandparents could even comprehend it.

If you thought the NFL was cool, then let me introduce you to the NBA. The NFL had Broadway Joe Namath, but they didn’t have Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, or Michael Jordan. Now, stars like Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden might as well be on the catwalk rather than on their way to the locker room.

For women, the 60’s and 70’s brought a movement to express themselves like never before. They were finally allowed to be proud of their bodies and be empowered by them. Enter Jane Fonda.

If you think Lululemon was the first to make yoga wear a thing, think again. Fonda became a TV star and broadcast workouts clad in skin-tight leotards and yoga pants. She was an absolute idol.

Fast forward to the 2000’s. Health and fitness are at the forefront of our minds.

Take that, combined with all of the above and suddenly, you’ve got the perfect recipe for an athleisure boom.

Now that we have you up to speed, let us explain why we prefer this style to conventional clothing.

Athleisure Increases Productivity

Wearing what you WANT has been shown to improve your performance. For those of us that prefer to wear clothes that fit well AND fit our lifestyle there are plenty of athleisure companies making work-friendly pants. Sporty chinos all over the internet that claim you can easily go rock climbing, biking, and hiking in them. I can actually vouch for the pair I linked above, I swear by them. I feel like they make me want to WORK… like seriously get shit done.

Wearing what you want improves confidence. Confidence improves work quality. It all comes full circle. If you’re one of the people that feels most powerful in a suit or uniform, do your thing. I find I’m much more happy with my favorite pair of sneakers and a nice fitting pair of pants or even jeans. I guess a shirt is necessary too (shout out to our idols there). Autonomy is improved in people who are allowed to think for themselves, and it starts with picking your own outfit in the morning. The aim is to simplify things, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun with it.

Less Laundry with Athleisure

This is a no-brainer.

One outfit a day versus two to three outfits a day. Depending on how often you wash your laundry, this can make a huge difference in the amount of water you’re using.

See what we’re saying? Athleisure is even reducing your water bill. Your pocketbook thanks you. The environment thanks you. We thank you. Even if you’re not into athleisure you probably like the idea of this.

Athleisure Provides a Better Fit

I started life as a fashion forward young man in the husky section. I am proud to say I have grown into my body, but still struggle to find pants that fit my waist and thighs. Here athleisure has provided a useful solution again. Most pants made to fit an athletic lifestyle are constructed with fabrics that stretch. A little stretch goes a long way. Wow. It really does make a difference in my daily comfort level at work. You don’t want something TOO stretchy. Ideally the clothes will still fit well, but provide you the ability to squat down and pick up your pen at work without ripping a seam. Something everyone should be free to do.

Be Ready for an Adventure

This is my favorite part of the trend. You never have to turn down the offer to go do something fun with friends. If I want to go to a friend’s yoga class on a whim, I can. If I want to go out for a walk after work I don’t have to go home to change. This can always be overcome with a packed bag to take to work, but nothing beats wearing comfortable clothing that keeps you ready for the challenges your day is going to throw at you.

I don’t want to have to change out of my suit to take out the recycling on my lunch break. I want to have clothes that I can get shit done in.

Our Favorites

Companies with quality products are in a great position to take advantage of the continuous online retailing craze. Here are some of our absolute favorites to get your “athleisure” collection started.

Vuori

Everything Chino- the name is spot on. I’ve hiked in them. I’ve worked in them. I’ve put hospital beds together in them. I’ve slept in them. These are a home-run.
Ripst op Climber Pant- less “professional” than the Everything Chino, but this hasn’t stopped me from wearing them to work and then yoga immediately thereafter.
Ponto Performance Pant- much less “I’m going to wear these to work” and much more “holy moly, these are so comfortable I could wear them all weekend”.

Patagonia

The Classic- if you don’t have a well-made flannel in your wardrobe are you even living?
The Future- light enough to keep you cool and insulated enough to keep you warm. Pricey, but a great deal if you can find it on sale.

Prana

For when it’s too hot for long sleeves, but you’re too cool for school (which is never-learning is fun).
Because cargo pants ARE COOL AND USEFUL

REI

They have a ton of great stuff for men and women. Also offer a great “garage sale” program monthly where members can get gently used items for HUGE markdowns.