Why the Activewear Niche is Going Viral

They’re comfortable and now, they’ve become fashionable as well.

Activewear has certainly enjoyed the pinnacle of popularity over the last few years.  From generic looking tops and unflattering bottoms, whole collections of ‘chic’ sports apparel are now being shown in New York Fashion Week runways.

We may be seeing more of this trend in the years to come as men and women from all over the world are now breaking the rule that said gym apparel should only be worn in the gym. In short, consumers couldn’t care less if the Fashion Police catches them wearing their track suits to a brunch…this time, comfort trumps style. This is exactly what designers like Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg were thinking when they came out with their own athletic lines – to give the public style and comfort at the same time!

There are many factors that lead to this fashion shift. First, active wear giants such as Nike, Adidas and Puma have continued to dominate in sales. Seasons may change, ‘IT’ designers come and go, but people still need their yoga pants to run in spring or tuck into boots during winter. I use my running shorts all year long plus or minus a few other pieces of clothing to protect me from the environment. In other words – Active wear doesn’t go out of style.

Also, for some weird reason, consumers are willing to pay upwards of up to $1000 for a pair of designer sweats. A pair of Lululemon Wunder Underpants flies out the racks with an $82 price tag along with $20 Under Armour running shorts. Have you ever wondered how much does the active wear industry rake in every year?

In the United States alone, women’s active wear and training apparel has profited whopping $11.5 Billion in 2013.  If you are still wondering, yes, this is a good time to get involved in the business.

Traditional and non-traditional active wear manufacturers havealso  finally realized that women are virtually an untapped market when it comes to sportswear.  I still remember walking into Nike a few years ago and buying women’s sportswear that only looked like smaller versions of the men’s – there was nothing else to choose from! Now though, you could literally walk into any store and find a corner dedicated to sportswear.

We think it is safe to conclude that the active wear niche will continue to go viral in the next few years. What do you think?

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