From Gym to Everything: How Athleisure Became a Lifestyle Blueprint

The culture around athleisure that surged in the early 2020s has become a foundational force in fashion. What was once reserved for working from home or working out at the gym now reflects the adaptability needed for modern hybrid life.

As we continue to navigate post-pandemic routines, consumers are looking for clothing that works as hard as they do, pieces that transition effortlessly between home, work, errands and social settings. Athleisure meets these demands by blurring traditional distinctions between formal vs. casual, day vs. night, and menswear vs. womenswear. Removing the need to dress up or down, just in a way that fits our lifestyle.

Since its early adoption, athleisure has continuously evolved to fit into all aspects of our lives. Here are some of the most recent trends.

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Day-to-Night Versatility

One of the most noticeable shifts is the emergence of day-to-night versatility. Pieces like sweatpants (+35.81%) and relaxed joggers (21.89%) are becoming an alternative to modern tailoring. Straight leg joggers (+9.26%) and wide-leg lounge pants (+12.09%) are being styled with blazers, longline coats, and formal footwear, reinforcing their role in our ready-for-anything wardrobes.

This evolution is being seen on the runways with designers like Tory Burch, Stella McCartney and Gucci, blending traditional suiting with tank tops, sporty knits and hoodies. These looks are also being translated by mainstream brands like The Frankie Shop and Maebe, making day-to-night athleisure widely accessible.

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Loungewear Sets

Coordinated loungewear sets have appeared as another key trend. In womenswear, we see both slim-cut (+18.42%) and oversized sets (+25.52%) styled as full outfits. While in menswear, boxy silhouettes (+23.80%) are elevated with trainers, coats and accessories to push beyond the gym look into something more stylish.

Fabric innovation is also playing a huge role. Plush fabric (+17.03%) is seen to have the Enstyle Index of 9, suggesting that it could be another path to continue the evolution of athleisure from its origins, and is perfect for creating soft and luxurious pieces. With this, performance-driven textiles like quick-drying (+11.64%) and climate-adaptive (+15.29%) fabrics are helping to transition performance wear into everyday fashion.

On the runways, this has split into two key aesthetics. The first being sleepwear-inspired looks like Genny’s traditional striped set and Fiorucci’s lace and silk pieces. The second being colour-drenched tracksuits seen by Facetasm and Sauk Nash. These themes have also made their way into brands like Skims, Nike and The Frankie Shop, creating comfortable and cohesive pieces for both men and women.

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Gender-Neutral Clothing

The fluidity of athleisure naturally creates gender-neutral appeal, allowing consumers to reject the traditional rules of gendered fashion and embrace new silhouettes. In womenswear, that means embracing traditionally masculine elements such as oversized hoodies (+16.98%), track pants (+21.57%), and boxy fits (+38.85%), often paired with feminine statement accessories (+21.37%) for balance. In menswear, slim-fits (+7.46%) and soft fabrics (+36.17%) are gaining popularity, creating a more expressive take on masculinity.

On the runways, we have seen the use of unconventional silhouettes by brands like Bianca Saunders, using slim tank tops and tailored joggers in their menswear collection. Meanwhile, S.K. Manor Hill has used ultra-oversized silhouettes to question traditional norms. Mainstream names like Adanola, H&M, and ASOS are following this trend with both fitted and oversized options across all genders.

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Driving Forces: Celebrity Influences

The appeal of athleisure is also shaped by pop culture, where celebrities continue to reframe comfort as aspirational. Hailey Bieber remains a dominant trend maker, often seen in oversized sweatshirts (+16.98%), cycling shorts (+4.57%), and white crew socks (+1.95%), usually styled with added accessories like structured designer bags (+32.13%) or sunglasses (+9.54%), adding to the aspirational factor in a way which still feels achievable and desirable. Similarly, Kendall Jenner, especially with her collaboration with Adanola, has helped to solidify sporty co-ords (+31.77%) and off-duty (+0.74%) gym looks as part of everyday wear.

Taylor Russell is another example of the blending of athleisure pieces into everyday life, with her twist on loungewear, pairing track pants with tailored coats (+50.21%), baseball caps (+6.38%) and tote bags (+48.14%), creating a cohesive pairing between style categories and distancing the athleisure elements from their original use. Meanwhile, Gracie Abrams is more literal with her day-to-night styling, pairing slouchy Adidas track pants (+20.18%) with an oversized and boxy blazer (+20.26%), fitting with what we are seeing on the runway.

In menswear, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harry Styles embody the new athletic masculinity, embracing short shorts (+20.44%), crewnecks (+12.12%) and trainers (+26.57%), whilst also positioning it as an everyday staple rather than for the gym only. Shia Gilgeous-Alexander stands out for the mix of oversized silhouettes and performance wear (+32.49%), playing into the loungewear trends we have been seeing on the runways.

Together, these figures help to position athleisure as a symbol of lifestyle fluency, inspiring consumers to also dress to feel prepared and present for whatever the day brings.

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Comfort as a Status Symbol

More than ever, comfort is being redefined as a luxury. When we see public figures in oversized hoodies and sweatpants, it’s a reflection of the freedom they have to prioritise rest over an abandonment of their style, something that feels increasingly out of reach for the average consumer, when we have normalised constant busyness and praised hustle culture over the years.

Their ability to embody relaxed dressing has made comfort aspirational rather than just convenient. Athleisure and particularly loungewear have evolved into a symbol of self-prioritisation, balance and control.

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The Shift Toward Slowing Down

Despite athleisure currently dominating the comfortwear market, that is beginning to change. Forecasts for next year state that loungewear is projected to grow by 50.64%, suggesting a significant cultural pivot. While athleisure suits the “always-on” world we have adapted to, this forecast suggests a collective desire to slow down and create intentional space for rest, not constant readiness.

For brands, this presents an opportunity to design for both categories, the high-movement and versatility of athleisure and the comfortable and relaxing appeal of loungewear. Instead of collapsing these into one category, consumers are beginning to draw lines between their on-the-go and downtime wardrobes.