(Bloomberg) -- Athleisure, the elevated-sporty clothing category that rocketed such brands as Lululemon and Under Armour to global success over the past half decade, appears to be hitting a plateau this year. Prices on units have been generally decreasing, and the growth of sales in activewear is leveling off.
But it's flattening out at an extremely high level, and prices are dropping because huge outfitters such as Walmart and Sports Authority are offering discounted versions of the upscale items you might buy at a pricey yoga boutique. So, as a matter of fact, more people have access to athleisure apparel, and it's becoming more mass. Basically, it's settling in for the long haul.
If you can't beat it, join it, right? Here are eight items to shop for, and six tips on how to wear them:
Varsity jacket, Coach, $1,195, coach.com; Mission smartwatch, Nixon, $400, nixon.com; X line twist cross-body bag, Valextra, $2,250, valextra.com; Neon spoiler high-top sneaker, Christopher Kane, $445, christopherkane.com; Eden low lace-up sneakers, Alexander Wang, $395, alexanderwang.com; Odette silk shirt, Stella McCartney, $1,100, stellamccartney.com; Yvonne pants, Rag & Bone, $295, rag-bone.com; Tory Sport Performance merino chevron sweater, $250, torysport.com.
Some tips:
- Neoprene is now a safe fabric for everyday wear, and not just in leggings. But embrace it in unique ways, such as the Christopher Kane sneakers above. If you wear a material in the same manner that it's used in athletic wear (as in, shorts), there's no way to avoid giving off the impression that you just got done with a workout.
- Keep your athletic wear and athleisure separate. Don't mix and match. Wear your gym clothes to the gym and your casual, comfortable clothes on the weekends and to low-key social events. Never. Together.
- A varsity jacket or a sporty handbag is athleisure. You're not afraid of those, right? Ease your way into it.
- Racing stripes, bright colors, and black-and-neon color combos are all hallmarks of athleisure, so try a little bit of each and see what you like.
- Test one piece at a time, and pair them with more formal attire. Wear nicely tapered jersey pants with a polo shirt or even an untucked button-down. Wear a snug sweatshirt with jeans. Don't jump in with both feet.
- As always, fit is key. Don't wear anything baggy; it will look like you're not trying. The reason athleisure works is because it looks as though the wearer put in some effort and spent some money, even though he's wearing comfortable clothes. Go too slouchy, and you'll just tell the world that you've given up.
To contact the author of this story: Moti Ankari in New York at mankari@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Rovzar at crovzar@bloomberg.net.
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