Styles You'll Love: Athleisure
It seems like only yesterday (but also, forever ago) when society as a whole was having the great “are leggings pants?” debate. Thankfully, the new year and new decade have brought some much-needed fashion change and we’re happy to see Athleisure Style being embraced across the country and world. No one is arguing the validity of leggings as pants anymore. We can’t get enough of comfortable, stretchy pants, cozy pullovers, and the whole athleisure wear movement as a whole.
What is Athleisure?
According to Stitch Fix, the athleisure definition is an easy-to-wear hybrid of gym and streetwear that is both comfortable and stylish. Any outfit that includes a piece that has athletic origins (such as yoga pants, leggings, hoodies, sneakers, and shorts) but is slightly dressed up and delivers both performance and fashion.
When you look at fashion trends through the ages, it’s actually fairly easy to see how influential the athletic and sports industries have been in modern and daily style. It’s not a stretch to say that we’ve been embracing various forms of athleisure for over a century! Sports Coats were originally created for men who wanted to hunt or ride horses but needed more flexibility in their jackets. Now, men wear them to business meetings or to client dinners! Polos were originally created for the sport of tennis and are now worn by both men and women for various activities (and are a staple in school uniforms!)
Most importantly, we can thank sports for introducing shorts to women's fashion. According to The Atlantic, when bicycling took off in the 1890s, women needed clothes that would allow them to ride without getting hurt. (Skirts can get sucked into the spokes of a wheel!) Pants and shorts were slowly introduced to women's’ fashion and have stuck around ever since!
Athleisure Trends in 2020
While the athleisure wear isn’t going away any time soon, there are definitely some athleisure trends that you can look to incorporate in your own style in 2020. According to some recent reports, we can expect to see athletic sneakers, material that improves/enhances movement, crew-neck sweatshirts, and hybrid denim to be big in the athleisure space this year.
Athleisure Clothing from MSC
Since we’re all about embracing trends here at My Sister’s Closet Boutique, you can bet we’ve got pieces that fit your Athleisure needs. Regardless of if you are on the go chasing your kids, walking your dog, running errands, or going to and from the gym, our Athleisure trends will keep you on the move, comfortable and chic! Here are some of our favorite pieces of athleisure clothing to shop.
Leggings - A girl's favorite piece of clothing. What did we do before the age of leggings? Having a pair of leggings (or two or three or five) is essential to the athleisure wardrobe and to any girl who wants to be comfortable, feel confident, and be able to move throughout the various activities during the day.
When looking for a good pair of leggings, make sure you consider how opaque the material is, because you don't want them to be see-through! We put every pair of leggings through the squat test at MSC to make sure you can feel confident wearing our leggings while you tackle life. Some of our favorites include our Keep Me Running Leggings (with fun textured details,) the Viper Leggings (with the trendy but neutral animal print) and our Queen Bee Camo Leggings (available in sizes 1X-3X.)
We also have our best selling Favorite Fleece leggings that are high-waisted, warm, and come in a various amount of colors. These leggings are built for warmth and comfort and great for winter or for layering under skirts and dresses!
Biker Shorts - A newer trend and one that we can get on board with! Biker Shorts are basically like short leggings. They are made out of the same stretchy and comfortable material, are easy to move around in, and are a bit longer to protect the insides of your legs when doing activities (like biking) in them! They are also great to have on hand when it's warmer outside and you want to wear leggings but it's just too hot!
We currently carry our Athena Biker Shorts, which have a high waist, flattering seaming, stretchy legging material and come in sizes S-3X!
Joggers - The sister to leggings that we never knew we needed until they arrived! Soft, cozy, and easy to wear, joggers are surprisingly versatile and are easy to dress up or down!
To dress up, pair your joggers with a bodysuit, heels, and a blazer! To dress down, grab the matching top from any one of our jogger sets, or throw on a graphic tee!
Our best-selling Night Owl joggers come in several colors and extended sizing. They are made out of that buttery soft material and look great dressed up or down. We also have more casual joggers (like our Dorian Blush Joggers) and joggers in fun prints, like our My Tribe Joggers!
Cropped Tops - Since Athleisure bottoms are typically high-waisted, slightly cropped tops are the perfect trendy item to pair with them. Cropped tops typically have a more boxy, looser fit, which keeps them comfortable and casual. We also believe in carrying the perfect crop - not too short in the torso and not too oversized.
We love our Sweet Like Honey tee, which is made out of a material similar to a sweatshirt, has a cute graphic logo and embraces the tie-dye trend (which is also making a comeback!) Our Just Peachy top is a little more polished and professional, but pairs great with joggers because of the cropped fit! And, if you're looking for something more athletic, our Keep Me Running cropped top is a dreamy sports piece that pairs great with high-waisted leggings. We love the stretch of the material and the thumb holes in the sleeves!
Hoodies - Nothing completes an Athleisure look faster than a comfortable hoodie! Choosing the right hoodie, however, is really important, especially if you want to still look chic and put together.
Things to think about when picking out a hoodie include colors, textures, and patterns! Picking a light color in a hoodie will help your outfit feel more chic and sophisticated. We love the Dorian Blush Hoodie, which has a slight crop and would look great with leggings.
The double hood style is very on-trend and combined with a bold animal print, it's an Athleisure winner! Check out our Stevie Leopard Hoodie here (available in sizes 1X-3X.)
If you're looking for a hoodie that's a little longer to wear with leggings and embraces feminine textures, look no further than our Combine My Love hoodie! The peach eyelet material and flowy fit make it a spring dream and perfect for leggings!
Which Athleisure trend are you most excited to try in 2020?
