The Magnifique Podcast
Hi guys! Welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion lovers podcast.
My names Gabrielle and I’m a fashion industry newb, though I’ve loved playing dress up for as long as I can remember. The fashion industry is an intimidating space, filled with elitist know-it-alls, it's hard to feel invited to learn about the rich history behind modern-day fashion.
I started this podcast because time after time, I've tried to find podcasts to learn more about hmm: how Gilded Age fashion influences modern-day attire, or Marc Jacobs being the reason for Louis Vuittons ready-to-wear line, OR how Levi Strauss pioneered Western Denim…and I'm met with a graveyard of results. I can't find anything! So I guess if I want something in this niche, I must do it myself. I invite you to join me as I expand my knowledge of the fashion space. Together we'll kinda be geniuses of fashion.
The Magnifique Podcast
Episode 16 - Athleisure's Ascendancy: Fashion, Function, and the Future
we traverse the stylish timeline of athleisure, from its sporty beginnings in the late 19th century to its current fashion dominance. Athleisure haters and lovers alike will appreciate our nostalgic nod to pioneering designers like Jean Patou and Coco Chanel, and the game-changing inventions like the rubber-bottomed tennis shoe and Lacoste's polo shirt. Fast forward to the present day, and we cover how the pandemic, social media, and celebrity culture have solidified athleisure as a wardrobe essential. Don't miss my reluctantly appreciative take on athleisure's strides toward sustainability and inclusivity, even if I still claim the title of its biggest skeptic.
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Hi everyone and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion trend podcast. I'm your host, gabrielle. And what the heck is up? How are we doing? Today we discuss athleisure and how it's turned the fashion space upside down. And well, if you know one thing about me, I am an athleisure hater to my core. Well, if you know one thing about me, I am an athleisure hater to my core. But the facts presented in today's episode, I can't dispute them. Athleisure is that girl.
Speaker 1:But first, throughout the week, I have written down some notes that I just wanted to talk about Things that have been on my mind. I titled the notes grievances Grievances that I like to bring up on the podcast. However, none of them are actual grievances. They are just things I thought of. So if you'd like, you can fill me in on your weekend. Please go ahead and do that now or forever. Hold your peace, because I've got a lot to say. That sounds like such an amazing weekend. I hope you had the best time. Thank you for sharing. That really means a lot. So, grievance number one I am going to go ahead and call them grievances, even though they are not. So gather around the campfire. Grievance number one I've been thinking a lot about rage rooms and how, in theory, they'd be really fun, but I don't think I would let myself enjoy them in the slightest, actually Not even a little bit.
Speaker 1:I think I'd smash stuff and like get a little giggle. I don't think it'd be as therapeutic as advertised, because I just simply would not let myself do what needs to be done, which is scream, cry, throw things, scream some more, break everything. That's not me. Let me backtrack. That is me in my core. That is not who I like to be. That is not who I like to be. I grew up crazy, but I don't like to be it. How about that? How about that? Um, so, raid rooms, they're really not my thing, but they sound really fun.
Speaker 1:I do think about it a lot, as well as boxing. This wasn't on my grievance list. We're just going on a tangent now. Hang with me, we'll get to athleisure. Boxing sounds really, really fun, and I do think it'd be good for me to kind of like punch something. Um, however, the actual punching part feels really violent and I just don't want to do that. Again, that is me.
Speaker 1:That's not me, though, and speaking on not being able to do things, another grievance I had is therapy would probably be so great for me. Um, I don't think I could go because I sincerely believe I would just lie to them. They'd ask me stuff and I could see myself being like and just completely out of politeness, truly and you know my heart I could just see myself not disclosing or pretending like things are super chill and cool to try to make their life diagnosing me so much easier and by so much easier I am going to put on the best show so that they think I am normal, but just need to talk things out. Sometimes, you know, I'd be like, oh, my day is so good, so good. No, no trauma. Responses came up today, nothing to discuss at all. I actually haven't been disassociating and maladaptive daydreaming since birth at all, um, and I don't feel called out by every TikTok that I watch diagnosing me with this, that and the other. I just don't ruminate on that all the time and I don't think about it often at all and sometimes I don't have a breakdown, thinking about my entire existence and no, like I'm chilling.
Speaker 1:I also had written down which a therapist would probably like me to elaborate on further and I just simply refuse the fabric rayon and I have a very love-hate relationship. My husband asked me to elaborate on what rayon is, so I looked up on Google and rayon is a smooth fabric, sometimes even silky, with a soft texture similar to cotton or linen. The soft fabric has a fluid drape, which means it hangs slightly and flows a little bit, rather than being super rigid and keeping its boxy shape. I say I have a love-hate relationship because I think it's such a fun fabric to rub in between your fingers. Whenever I do wear rayon top I just so, guys, I can't explain this I like to rub it in between my fingers and it feels really nice, the fabric, you know. Anyway, I hate it though because of everything else about it. Everything else about rayon sucks, and I frequently remind myself of the time that I tried to iron a rayon top.
Speaker 1:It was wrinkly. What was I to do? And you know it did move forward with melting before my very eyes. Um, that happened. You know it did move forward with melting before my very eyes. Um, that happened. Um, my last gripe, which is not a gripe in the slightest, but I've really just been thinking about the girly pop music that has been released throughout the entire year, and I feel like this is a safe space to give my top three albums of the year so far and then we can move on to athleisure. I'm so sorry for taking up so much of your time talking about me.
Speaker 1:Number three spot we have Miss Sabrina with her Ovulation album called Short and Sweet. Everybody I've talked to about this album. I have prefaced with Miss Girls Feeling Herself and she uncovered a new level of longing which I love, for her really, really is so awesome. Number two is miss charlie xcx and brat. She created a cultural phenomenon and I fear it's drifting away as summer leaves us. But brat, summer really revived indy sleaze, with the fear-mongering of another recession around looming among us me thinks that indy sleaze and like god, tier music is only going to amplify as the economy does not amplify. But that's okay, because let's talk about my number one album of the year and I implore you all to listen to it right after this episode because I need the downloads.
Speaker 1:Number one I have Miss Ponytails, ariana Grande, eternal Sunshine album. I have no notes. There's only one skip on this album and it's because I hate the way that she says ordinary in her song Ordinary Things. I just hate the way it sounds. It's probably a good song. I've only listened to it once because once I decided I hate the way she sounds when she says ordinary. I can't listen to that. Um, one more thing. Hear me loud and clear.
Speaker 1:The moment Harry Styles drops an album, I am invoking sexism, and all of the women on my list get bummed down a peg. For a British white man to stand at the number one spot, harry Styles would be in that spot and I don't care what he puts out, I don't care, homies, get an agreement nomination for that. Based off of my research, he has a two and a half year album cycle and the last one came out in the spring, which means this nun has to come out late December-ish and based off of his other fall album, which he released a single October 13th, and I think we started getting teasers in September. So I'm thinking by the end of September we might hear rumblings of a Harry Styles single and I'm sorry for the person I'm gonna become. That, just that's. That's that. Okay. Enough about me, let's get to what you all came here for Athleisure.
Speaker 1:Athleisure and I are nemesis, nemesis, nemesis. That's my nemesis. I think there are so many better ways to dress, but unfortunately the collective society disagrees with me, and athleisure is a fashion trend that is here to stay. But what exactly is athleisure and what societal implications has it brought on? Athleisure is a word merging athletic wear and leisure wear, which contradict itself truly.
Speaker 1:According to quote-unquote historical reports, athleisure started as a fashion trend to look athletic without the presumption of doing any physical activity. They weren't made for the intent to be worn for physical activity, just to give the illusion. We're going to hit a couple throwbacks in this episode, so first let's throw back to 1979, when the word athleisure was first used in a Nation's Business Magazine issue describing the garment and shoes as being for those who wish to appear athletic, women's wear. Daily defined athleisure shoes as non-performance styles such as canvas or suede.
Speaker 1:In the late 19th and early 20th century, sportswear referred to interchangeable separates worn by both athletes and spectators, often made from knit or jersey material to allow freedom of movement, and Parisian designer Jean Petit, credited with creating the tennis skirt, helped popularize European sportswear. And by 1926, fogue noted that a significant portion of daytime fashion in Paris were sports-inspired, emphasizing the practicality and youthfulness of. If you remember, in my Coco Chanel episode, miss Gabrielle was largely successful for her sportswear designs that were revolutionary in the use of the jersey material, which again is like a soft, breathable, stretchy material, often used pre-Chanel as like undergarments, like for bras and panties. While designers like Chanel maintained couture qualities in their sportswear, american designers like Claire McCardell and Bonnie Cashin championed a more casual, practical approach. Their designs, characterized by functionality and utilitarian fabrics, lead the groundworks for today's athleisure and in the 40s, mccardell's creation epitomized American sportswear aesthetics, while Cashin's emphasis on layering and practicality further advanced the trends. Karen introduce her seven easy pieces highlighting the importance of an interchangeable, simple wardrobe, a concept that resonated strongly with the athleisure movement. Today, and following kind of the same thought, train of tennis.
Speaker 1:In 1892, the first rubber-bottomed shoe, known as the tennis shoe, were produced for athletes to provide better traction on the tennis court Around. The same time, intramural sports gained popularity at the US universities, with men wearing their athletic clothes to class. The 1920s saw the introduction of the polo shirt. Any guess who was the one to introduce it? How about Lacoste? Initially designed for tennis players as a breathable alternative for their long-sleeve shirts. It wasn't until later that they were adopted by proper polo players and throughout the 20th century, new aesthetic clothing items such as gym shorts and running shoes were developed to meet athletes' needs In the 1930s, champion began producing hoodies for American laborers who were working in cold conditions.
Speaker 1:Before I move forward, can I just have like a little moment of silence, or just a moment of recognition, for when Champion used to be sold at Walmart? I used to have a lot of Champion gear in elementary school when it was sold at Walmart and then it kind of had a resurgence in the late 2010s 2018-2019, but those bad boys got expensive. Listen, the American laborers deserve to be mad at the prices of Champion nowadays. Anyway, the invention of spandex by DuPont in 1958 further revolutionized athletic wear, providing the stretch and flexibility foundational to contemporary athleisure. Adidas then contributed to the trend by introducing sport-to-street track suits in 1963, which became a staple in North American street culture by the 1970s and gained further popularity in 1980s hip-hop music videos.
Speaker 1:The 70s and 80s marked a very significant turning point for athleisure, as exercise became more mainstream and apparel companies began designing clothes specifically for physical activity. This is where we really start seeing the modern perspective of athleisure. These garments featured advanced fabrics with moisture-wicking, breathability and odor-wicking properties. Over time, athleisure evolved from sports-specific wear to versatile apparel suitable for various activities. Look at what you're wearing right now. You might be wearing some form of athleisure Tennis shoes, polo shirts. Come on, you're wearing it. We're all wearing athleisure right now.
Speaker 1:Athleisure took on many forms before in 2016, when Merriam-Webster added athleisure to their dictionary. Its definition is, as quoted, casual clothing designed to be worn for both exercising and for general use. It was from here on that athleisure would begin to take form as a multifaceted way of dressing. Athleisure is everywhere, and as much as she is my nemesis, I cannot get away from her. The early 2000s saw a rise of brands like Lululemon, which revolutionized the fashion industry with stylish workout clothes that can be worn beyond the gym, and by 2018, a survey revealed that upper-income teens were significantly more likely to favor athleisure brands compared to a decade earlier. High fashion brands also recognized the potential of athleisure collaborating with sports brands for capsule collections. Designers like Louis Vuitton, karl Lagerfeld and Gucci rejuvenated their images by partnering with brands like Supreme Vans and Gucci rejuvenated their images by partnering with brands like Supreme Vans and North Face. We did mention Lose a Lemon and High Income Teens. I have a little section about that in a second, so I'm not forgetting you. I do have a tangent to go on Athlete shirt as we know it today has its roots in a century-long evolution of American sportswear, transforming into a unique trend that emphasizes comfort and leverages advanced synthetic fibers.
Speaker 1:A century ago, clothing choices were dictated by specific events, but modern athleisure caters to those seeking a versatile wardrobe that can transition seamlessly from errands to work to the gym. I fear gone are the days of changing outfits every hour to match the vibes. We knew that. We knew that. We knew that. We knew that. I don't want to come to conclusions and like come to reality and face the facts. I'd love to go back to those simpler times. You're telling me I get to debut a new outfit every few hours. Count me the frick in, though. We did discuss in the gilded age episode that only wealthy and privileged people got to fully participate in that era of time. Duh, I know I'd be working at a textile mill, I know, but the things that I would do to be a gilded age socialite is immeasurable, to speak my god-given truth. But as American fashion became increasingly sports-oriented, the industry responded to consumers' demands for practicality and style.
Speaker 1:In today's fashion landscape, athleisure has become a, if not the dominant trend, seamlessly merging athletic wear with leisure wear to create a versatile clothing and wardrobe that appeals to our active, health-conscious and style-savvy society. This trend phenomenon cultural evolution has blurred the lines between active wear and casual clothing, allowing individuals to transition from work to gym to other daily activities. I've said this like five times in this episode Asleisure is that girl. I hate that girl. Asleisure garments are designed to provide comfort and ease of movement while maintaining a fashionable appearance, striking the balance between performance and style. Popular items like leggings and yoga pants exemplify this trend, offering comfort and flexibility through moisturizing fabrics and various designs. So various designs would be like sports leggings in particular. They are tailored specifically for athletic activities, often incorporating compression technologies to target muscle support, making athleisure a practical and stylish choice for modern wardrobes.
Speaker 1:The athleisure market, valued at 300 billion, continues to grow, with designers leveraging materials that are both practical and stylish. Many designers have launched their own athleisure lines or incorporated some form of athleisure into their collections. So some celebrities who have entered the market are kate hudson with her Fabletics Fabletics is everywhere. Beyonce's Ivy Park I haven't heard of Ivy Park since they launched. Let me know how they're doing. And Rihanna's Fenty Puma I also haven't heard of them since they launched, but I feel like that was more recent. So they launched all of these to further cement athleisure's place in contemporary fashion. It should be noted that another athleisure collection that my husband foams out the mouth for is Easy and Easy Gap from Kanye West. He proofread my episode so he added a little note. He said it's true, guys, I own over 10 pieces from this collection and he is on eBay every day looking for more Yeezy Gap. So if you have a plug, abe is your man.
Speaker 1:Popular athleisure items include something to the extent of sweatpants, hoodies, sweatshirts, track pants, high-rise leggings and or baseball caps. The movement is supported by advancements in textile materials and technical fabrics, making modern activewear more durable, breathable, lightweight, stretchy and fashionable. Technological advancements in textile innovation have enhanced the functionality of athleisure garments, making them more breathable, lightweight, stretchy, versatile, comfortable, durable. This, that and the other, this, that and the other. These improvements have allowed athleisure to transition from gym exclusive wear to acceptable everyday attire.
Speaker 1:Modern athleisure emphasizes fashion over mere functionality, with different styles and different colors and fabrics. It should be noted that colors play a huge role in kind of the acceptability of athleisure. I know we saw its big peak in the 70s and 80s. We should also note the different color schemes that came with the 70s and 80s and how that differs tremendously from the trending colors now. Not that it was like huge, but we should. You know, today's color palettes are very muted and neutral and it is easier to get away with athleisure as it's predominantly black, white, gray, brown very easy to mix in with your everyday wear, whereas back in the 70s and 80s it was if you're wearing athleisure, you're wearing athleisure. You're wearing a bright red tracksuit, bright blue bodycon suit with pink leg warmers. It was harder to mix it with everyday wear, but the modern athleisure trend gained significant momentum in the mid-2010s, building off the widespread adoption of yoga pants in the mid to late 2000s. These garments offered north american women the convenience of wearing the same outfit on multiple occasions without frequent changes. Um, I don't really remember a pre-athleisure timeline, so those more experienced me let me know your trauma with having to change your outfit multiple times a day. Athleisure really filled a gap in the market by transforming athletic wear from purely utilitarian to stylish and fashionable. The decline in blue jean sales also contributed to the athleisure rise, as it became a preferred choice for casual wear and young adults and fitness-conscious consumers.
Speaker 1:We simply must must discuss the leggings epidemic of the early 2010s. I remember being in middle school when I first discovered that Forever 21 sold leggings and it was like the go-to place to get leggings. It was my first exposure to leggings and we should talk about how they were so see-through, so see-through, so see-through. Yet every girl wore them out of the house and ran them into the ground. In high school, I remember my exclusive like uniform as leggings and a hoodie and my Converse shoes. Admittedly and embarrassingly, I wore them into the grave. They were so susceptible to holes, they were the thinnest piece of fabric you could ever have, but when they got holes, I just wore black shorts underneath. Yeah, it was very evident.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about post-COVID athleisure, though, because covid really, in my opinion, put the nail in the coffin for people nearly exclusively wearing activewear. I've said it once and I'll say it again a million times over covid was a catalyst for people not being able to dress themselves. The covid19 pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of athleisure, cementing its place in everyday fashion and, with the shift to remote work, I wish, and the elimination of daily commutes, traditional office dress codes have become more relaxed, allowing for more casual, comfortable attire, attire and social media platforms, along with celebrities, have played a crucial role in promoting athleisure, showcasing their outfits in their daily lives and transforming the trend cycles from niche to mainstream. Throughout the pandemic, everybody wore sweatsuits and Emma Chamberlain rediscovered flared leggings. A lot of the clean girl aesthetic is active wear athleisure. But, yes, even fashion icon Zach Karl Lagerfeld, who once criticized jogging bottoms, has now embraced sports-inspired collections. Rip Karl Lagerfeld. I actually have heard that he's not a great person. That's neither here nor there. I will do an entire episode and we can figure that out on our own. The pandemic also spurred a renewed interest in health and fitness, further boosting the popularity of athleisure. Further boosting the popularity of athleisure. This trend has become so widespread that calling it a trend seems inadequate. It's a global movement. It's a cultural fixation. Athleisure is now acceptable in nearly every setting, including the workplace, as people blend these pieces with more traditional fashion items. From 2012 to 2019, the global athleisure market grew by 42%, reaching a value of $270 billion, with continued growth projected. Forbes predicts that sneakers will surpass dress shoes as the largest footwear category, reflecting the shift toward styles that combine streetwear and athletic wear.
Speaker 1:Um, we do have some concerns of athleisure. Critiques of athleisure often point to the blurring of professional boundaries in the workplace, arguing that its casual aesthetic can undermine the formality traditionally expected in professional settings. Um, I kind of agree as a hater. However, speaking facts, with careful attention to the fabric, quality and the maintenance of the pieces, it is possible to wear athleisure without looking unkempt or kind of like raggedy. And highlighting the importance of choosing high quality pieces remains kind of a top priority when deciding if your athleisure is appropriate to wear to work.
Speaker 1:Environmental sustainability is a huge concern, as the production of athleisure garments frequently involves using synthetic products that can harm the environment. The trend's fast-paced nature, encouraging frequent purchases to keep up with the ever-changing styles and trends, exacerbates issues of waste and overconsumption. Additionally, the chemicals used in athleisure, such as dyes, solvents and a bunch of chemicals that I can't pronounce, have raised environmental concerns due to their impact. In response to that, brands like Patagonia and Allbirds have made conscious efforts to promote sustainability by using eco-friendly materials and green business practices.
Speaker 1:Another criticism of athleisure is that it perpetuates body standards and exclusivity within the fashion industry, many athleisure brands offering limited size ranges and lack of representation in diverse body types, reinforcing societal norms of an ideal body, especially in a post-Ozempic world. This lack of inclusivity highlights the need for a fashion industry to strive to be better be better in representing people, be better in ensuring all people, of all different shapes and sizes, can be comfortable in whatever you're promoting. Just be just hey. Be better, be better, be better. Um, athleisure is crazy.
Speaker 1:Why do I not like it? It I okay. It's not that I don't like it, it it's okay. Here it's too comfortable and that's a good thing. But also a bad thing, because when I think of comfort, I think of being lazy. So if I'm comfortable, I can lay on the couch, and if I lay on the couch, I'm laying on the couch. So for me to be productive and active and doing my talk of my shit, I can't wear leggings. I mean I can, but then I don't work. So you tell me, the popularity of athleisure is set to continue rising as individuals increasingly prioritize comfort, recitality and an active lifestyle and bumbling all those up into their fashion choices.
Speaker 1:The unique blend of sporty practicality and everyday chic resonates with the modern consumer. I mean, we're being fear-mongered left and right about a looming recession. Of course they're going to choose an economically sound fashion choice where they can wear it more than once a month. They're going to choose to wear a piece as much as they can getting their money's worth, which I definitely understand. I just wish it looked better.
Speaker 1:As design choices evolve, athleisure is poised to incorporate more fashion-forward innovations, merging athletic aesthetics with high-end fashion elements. Designers will likely experiment with new silhouettes, prints and details to create garments that support performance while remaining stylish and on-trend. Brands like Athleta exemplifies this shift, promoting size, inclusivity and principles of self-love and confidence, setting an inspiring example for the industry. Despite criticisms regarding professional boundaries, sustainability and inclusivity, the athleisure industry has shown a readiness to adapt and evolve. By promoting sustainability, broadening inclusivity and continually innovating in design, the future of athleisure appears vibrant and prosperous.
Speaker 1:So that's athleisure. She's cute or whatever. I still will be its number one hater while wearing athleisure in my free time, so don't believe everything. I say um because I'm actually. I'm not wearing sweatpants right now. Usually when I film, I'm wearing sweatpants because I'm tired. But yeah, I am athleisure's biggest hater just purely because I want to and I've made it my personality, so I can't really go back on it right now. That's not really in the cards.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did go ahead and leave us a rating on wherever you get your podcasts Spotify, apple Podcasts, youtube, I don't know the radio who's to say. If you want to keep up with us, we have all of our links in the description below. I am putting out a fall fashion guide on my sub stack. The link is also in the description below if you want to know what's on trend this fall. You want to know what to wear, what colors are we going for? Something a little more like on the nose, rather than the tiktok predictions that say burgundies in this fall. Yeah, hey, we know. If you want something a little less vague than that, I got you on my sub stack. Yeah, next week we're going to talk about the 2018 baddie aesthetic epidemic. It was a time to be alive. I urge you to come back next week and hang out and, until then, have a good week. Try not to crumble under the crippling anxiety of capitalism. Bye, queens, love ya.
