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17 Jul 2026

What is athleisure fashion? ~Introducing trendy, high-performance materials used in sportswear and recommended apparel materials~

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Hello! This is Kimura from the ApparelX Trend Blog.

Have you noticed that styles incorporating sportswear suitable for active settings into everyday fashion seem to be becoming increasingly common?

This time, we will introduce the characteristics of the athleisure fashion trend that is gaining popularity around the world, as well as high-performance textiles and recommended apparel materials that are perfect for athleisure items.

What Is Athleisure?

Athleisure is a coined term combining “athletic” and “leisure.” It refers to a fashion style that incorporates activewear such as sportswear, yoga wear, and running wear into everyday clothing. Traditionally, sportswear was intended to be worn during exercise. In recent years, however, its high functionality, combined with increasingly refined designs that are easy to wear in the city without looking overly outdoorsy, has established it as a new lifestyle.

For more on gorpcore, a similar trend using outdoor items, please also see this blog.

Gorpcore: A Movement Between Trend and Culture! Introducing Matching Textiles and Trims!

Why Is It So Popular?

The popularity of athleisure fashion is driven by its combination of the functionality unique to sportswear and design appeal suitable for everyday city wear. Against a backdrop of growing health consciousness, the wellness boom, and the spread of remote work, demand has increased for clothing that allows people to spend their time comfortably. Furthermore, advances in high-performance materials have led to more items featuring functions useful in everyday life, such as moisture-wicking and quick-drying performance, 4-way stretch, UV protection, and wrinkle resistance. As a result, athleisure is worn not only for active occasions but also for commuting, travel, and a wide range of other settings.

Brands Driving the Popularity of Athleisure

lululemon, the pioneering brand, offers high-quality yoga wear and is known as one of the leading brands that drove the spread of athleisure fashion. Its items, combining functionality and design appeal, are highly popular not only for yoga and fitness but also as everyday clothing. Today, many brands offer athleisure items, including sports brands such as Nike and adidas.
In Japan, lifestyle brands that combine yoga wear with Ladies' fashion, such as emmi, are also trending.
In this way, modern athleisure is attracting attention as clothing that is easy to use every day and comfortable to wear not only during exercise.

▲lululemon

Nike SKIMS .Online Store

▲NIKE-nike skims

▲emmi

Popular Athleisure Items and ApparelX Recommendations—How to Choose Textiles and Trims—

In athleisure fashion, items that combine ease of movement for active settings with design appeal suitable for everyday wear are popular.

We will introduce ApparelX products by popular athleisure item category, together with recommended keywords for material selection.

・Jogger Pants

Jogger pants are characterized by a tapered silhouette that narrows toward the ankles and are a standard item representing athleisure. Since they are useful in a wide range of settings, including commuting and travel, they are recommended as unisex items for both men and women. Stretch fabric, combining lightweight performance and ease of movement, pairs exceptionally well with jogger pants. Using silicone cord stoppers at the waist and hems can reduce the discomfort of digging into the skin.

Keywords: 4-way stretch/water-repellent stretch/cool-touch material /silicone cord stopper

ApparelX ID: 1092402Textile

S7301Lumiere 4-Way Nylon

A supple 4-way stretch material using nylon/polyester yarns in both the warp and weft. It also features a high level of performance with a water-repellent finish. Slightly lightweight, with a dry touch and...

Manufacturer: Fujisaki Textile / Supplier: Okura Shoji

View Product

ApparelX ID: 1085190Textile

KS27407Cool-Touch Heather-Look Stretch

A high-spec heather-look synthetic fiber material using TORAY “Cool Motion®,” characterized by its smooth, cool touch. Excellent moisture absorption...

Manufacturer: Matsubara / Supplier: Okura Shoji

View Product

ApparelX ID: 1091374Buckles and rings
KNR7229Cord Hardware
Cord hardware made of Mirable silicone resin. Recommended for sportswear and similar applications.
Manufacturer: IRIS / Supplier: Okura Shoji
View Product

・Leggings

A popular standard item for yoga, Pilates, and gym wear. Since leggings fit closely to the body, stretch and comfort are important; high-gauge tricot and stretch jersey textiles are recommended.

Keywords: high-gauge tricot/stretch jersey/moisture-wicking and quick-drying/UV protection/antibacterial and deodorizing

・Sports Bras

In addition to their original use as underwear, wearing sports bras as tops—visible clothing—has also become established. Since comfortable wear is required, using power net as a lining is recommended for improved fit and stable support.

・Lightweight Tops

Tops are popular for both men and women because they are easy to incorporate into everyday outfits. Cropped lengths are also popular among women, and choosing an opaque textile provides peace of mind.

・Oversized Hoodies

These are popular for wearing while traveling from gyms and other facilities or as one-mile wear. Lightweight, easy-to-move materials with a high synthetic-fiber content are recommended.

・Shell Jackets

This high-performance outerwear offers lightweight, water-repellent, and windproof properties, making it useful from outdoor activities to city wear. If lightness is a priority, nylon textiles with an industry weight of 60–90 gsm are ideal. Size 3 coil zippers are a basic, easy-to-match choice, but the 4.5-size AquaGuard® water repellent zipper, which combines thinness, lightness, and water-repellent performance, is also recommended because it maximizes the appeal of lightweight outerwear.

3CFMR Coil Zipper, Size 3, Two-Way Separator

Coil zippers use resin such as polyester as their material, with coil-shaped elements. Because the elements are continuous, they are more flexible than metal or Vislon® zippers...

FLATKNIT® AquaGuard® Water Repellent Zipper, Size 4.5, Open-End

This product is available for factory processing only. By using FLATKNIT® knitted tape, this AquaGuard® zipper pursues lightness, thinness, and softness...

Related Blogs

Blogs introducing manufacturers recommended for athleisure fashion items.

Summary

What do you think? Athleisure fashion combines the functionality of sportswear with the design appeal of everyday clothing, making it a fashion trend where current trends and lifestyles intersect. Of course, beyond design, many items use high-performance materials offering stretch, moisture-wicking and quick-drying performance, waterproofing, breathability, and more.

Athleisure fashion is expanding beyond the sportswear market into city wear, outdoor wear, and travel wear, and is likely to become an established fashion category in the future as well.

Please view the functional products listed on ApparelX here.

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