New athleisure brands and collections to watch out for
By Monica Godnick
November 18, 2020
Image Credit: Courtesy of ACTA Ambassador Grace Eisterhold
Sophomore government and politics major Alex Truszkowska has been going for leggings and sweatpants a lot during this pandemic period, like many of us have. “The first few months of quarantine, I was stuck at home and not going out anywhere other than the supermarket. I didn’t feel the need to dress up,” Truszkowska said.
The pandemic has deeply ingrained loungewear into society. Who wants to go back to rigid jeans after months of being used to comfy sweatpants, leggings and t-shirts? Whether you are a physically active person or not, athleisure wear has become the fashion statement of 2020. Brands have noticed this too. Here are some new collections to look out for!
Aerie- OFFLINE
Aerie, the sub-brand owned by American Eagle, launched a new collection a few months ago named ‘OFFLINE.’ Aerie is mostly known for their intimate wear and swimsuits, but now they have decided to join the athleisure world. The OFFLINE collection includes leggings, joggers, hoodies, quarter zips, relaxed fit shirts and all kinds of accessories. Their products take on various colors of trendy patterns such as cheetah print, snake print and camo.
The collection includes three types of fabric. The OG Fabric is made out of cotton. The Real Me fabric is made with 360° stretch and is lightweight. The Hugger fabric is brushed inside and out, creating a soft feel.
The collection also offers pieces with sustainable fabric. Their smooth and soft “Warmup Legging” is made of recycled water bottles. “I feel so happy and guilt-free when I am wearing environmentally-friendly brands,” Truszkowska said.
Martha Leo, the associate merchant of the brand, stated in an interview on the Aerie website that their brand stands for the “real” side of activewear. Leo said, “it’s not about being perfect, or having everything figured out. It’s about moving every day because it feels good—OR— just moving from your bed to the couch! Because sometimes, we need a break (and it’s ok to admit that).”
Alo Yoga- Winter Collection
Alo Yoga has become increasingly popular this year. The brand, as indicated in its name, specializes in clothes that are used for yoga. However, their cute leggings and tops can be worn in a versatile way. In fact, stars like Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift and Hailey Bieber have incorporated Alo Yoga leggings in their streetwear outfits.
Their winter product line just launched and this season, they have incorporated knit hoodies, sweatpants, warmth coverups, pullovers, sherpa jackets and beanies in the spirit of the upcoming season. The brand has also added more sports bras and leggings. These recent products particularly focus on colors like turquoise, tan, navy blue, olive green and black. “I have heard from a lot of people that Alo Yoga is high quality. I plan on purchasing some of their clothes soon,” said Lainey Morris, a freshman nutritional science major.
Madewell- Make Weekends Longer
On October 20, Madewell also hopped on the loungewear trend with their new collection ‘Make Weekends Longer’ (MWL). This collection focuses on oversized sweatpants and sweatshirts, all under $100. The color blocking on the oversized hoodies and the side stripes on the sweats add a mellow, vintage feel to the products.
According to Madewell’s website, their “Extra Special” fabrics are sustainably made. “Superbrushed” is a mix of sustainable Lenzing Modal® and REPREVE® polyester. The other two fabrics, Ribbed and Soft Sweats, have different physical structures but both are made of organic cotton and recycled poly.
ACTA- Renew Collection
ACTA is an on-the-rise brand that has perfect pieces for any kind of workout. The majority of the products have a compressive fit. Their specialty is sets of sports tops/bras and leggings. They have added more colors to their ‘Renew’ collection that is 100% sustainably made. They added more of their “Vest Bras” as well, which is a sports top that has the support of a sports bra. Their solid patterns and colors put them on the sleek and minimal side.
It seems like there will still be more to come from Acta Wear. The activewear brand has an unrevealed project with Vizerapp, a fitness tracker app. The amazing thing about Vizerapp is that every time a user accomplishes a fitness goal through the app, one meal is donated to a food bank in the Feeding America Network. On November 6, ACTA reposted an Instagram story from the Vizerapp CEO, Sam Pantazopoulos. The story said, “@acta.wear x @vizerapp collab coming soon.”
This is just the beginning. As athleisure wear picks up momentum, more and more brands and collections will come along. “I think that so many people can agree with me that athleisure clothes whether it be sweatpants or leggings, definitely have increased and will continue to increase in popularity,” Truszkowska said
Image Credit: Courtesy of ACTA Ambassador Grace Eisterhold