Athleisure: Here to Stay
Runtastic CEO Florian Gschwandtner puts his suit and tie in the closet and encourages workwear that reflects your lifestyle.
What should you wear to work today? How about your stylish running tights? What would have been unthinkable a few years ago is now perfectly normal. Functional fitness clothing is no longer just for the gym. Thanks to athleisure, one of the top wellness trends of 2017, you can wear your gym clothes to work or the grocery store. Combining the words athletic and leisure, athleisure has become a fixture of daily office attire.
This lifestyle is exciting
Athleisure is more than just a fad. For me, it is about the way fit and motivated people want to show and present themselves. Athleisure is not just a fashion trend, but a lifestyle. It is about feeling both comfortable and well-dressed at the same time. It is designed for people who like to take care of themselves, eat healthy and exercise, but also take an interest in fashion.
So what’s wrong with athleisure at work? I think the next generation will care less about ties, leather shoes and pressed white shirts. But the outfit should still be cool, fancy and fashionable.
I don’t think we need uniforms anymore, at least not at work. The new style is already popular in start-ups and among the young, wild generation and brands like adidas are recognizing this. They are creating one-of-a-kind athleisure wear like the cool items in the adidas Originals or Stella McCartney lines.
It is probably only a matter of time before traditional businesses like banks and insurance companies change their way of thinking and do away with their strict dress codes. I don’t really care personally if someone wears a suit or not.
Don’t take this the wrong way, I like to get dressed up too once in a while. But I would like to have the choice. The choice to wear a suit jacket when I feel like it, but also something more comfortable, more casual, more … whatever.
Fitness and health are more important than ever
I think this clothing style is simply too convenient to just be a fad. And why not live comfortably when it looks and feels right? In my opinion, what makes the difference is that sweatpants used to be pretty ugly and not really appropriate for walking around in public. But now there are lots of different models that are comfy and look cool and fashionable.
Plus, people are attaching more importance to health and fitness. A balanced diet, more exercise and an active lifestyle are more popular now than ever. People want to show this passion and get other people excited. And what represents this lifestyle better than athleisure?
I like them a lot. New #yeezy 750 #adidas #fashion #sneakers
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Athleisure at Runtastic
At Runtastic, we see a lot of these trends and try them out ourselves. For instance, every week, there is “Fancy Wednesday,” when people dress up or “Sweatpants Thursday,” when some of my colleagues show up in jogging pants. People simply love to express themselves and to show their lifestyle.
I totally agree. This was just before I did a keynote at an event in Berlin (NOAH conference) and it was also about winning a prize. I tried to stay casual, but also have a bit of a business look ;) In the office you can trust me that I'm wearing a lot of athleisure. Also because it's super comfortable and looks good at the same time.
Best and thanks for all the feedback,
Florian