The Athleisure Trend is Growing, With Tory Burch's Torysport the

By A Mystery Man Writer

There was a time, not so long ago, that the term "athleisure" could have gone the way of "normcore"—talked about ad nauseam but then forgotten, destined never to be used in the style lexicon again. But no—while the exalted wearing of all things basic seems to have slipped off the tongue of pop culture, athleisure is here to stay, affecting big brands and retailers in an officially permanent way. Numbers at the end of last year showed Americans spent $1 billion more dollars on apparel and shoes than the year before, and all credit went to active wear. Koral Activewear tank and Onzie leggings, available at Carbon38. "It's definitely here to stay," confirmed Elle Strauss, fashion director at Shopbop, an e-commerce giant that currently carries 34 active-wear brands. "Over the past year it's gone from practical workout wear to having more of a street vibe. It's less about performance and more about looking relaxed and cool." Strauss said she first noticed the trend creeping in five years ago and counts fitness brands collaborating with designers as part of the sea change (reference Mary Katrantzou's breathtakingly gorgeous creations for Adidas, plus Stella McCartney's longtime partnership with the brand). A scad of
There was a time, not so long ago, that the term athleisure could have gone the way of normcore—talked about ad nauseam but then forgotten, destined never to be used in the style lexicon again. But no—while the exalted wearing of all things basic seems to have slipped off the tongue of pop culture, athleisure is here to stay, affecting big brands and retailers in an officially permanent way. Numbers at the end of last year showed Americans spent $1 billion more dollars on apparel and shoes than the year before, and all credit went to active wear. Koral Activewear tank and Onzie leggings, available at Carbon38. It's definitely here to stay, confirmed Elle Strauss, fashion director at Shopbop, an e-commerce giant that currently carries 34 active-wear brands. Over the past year it's gone from practical workout wear to having more of a street vibe. It's less about performance and more about looking relaxed and cool. Strauss said she first noticed the trend creeping in five years ago and counts fitness brands collaborating with designers as part of the sea change (reference Mary Katrantzou's breathtakingly gorgeous creations for Adidas, plus Stella McCartney's longtime partnership with the brand). A scad of