The notion of sports luxe dressing has been inspiring designers for some time now, but the real challenge comes in styling the look so as not to seem like you've just come straight from the gym. First emerging on runways amidst the high-low boundary pushing of couture houses, it somehow feels inextricably linked to the urban style of designers like Kenzo as well.
Over recent years in particular, the look has evolved to incorporate ever more polish – a balance that works equally as well from street style to the open plan office environment.
When you think about it, the athleisure trend suits an outdoorsy Australian lifestyle to a tee, especially our tendency towards more relaxed codes of dress. That said, though, it's important to keep the look elevated in order to avoid boot camp references and the like. Designers such as Rick Owens offer plenty of inspiration here by delivering sporty outfits that are grounded in fashion. In addition, plenty of designer streetwear collaborations have now emerged for us to choose from, which means that embracing the trend has become a matter of personal style.
Sportswear arrives amidst fashion’s high-low fascination
The term 'athleisure' (a confluence of athletic and leisure) was first used in a sneaker commercial back in 1976. That said, it wasn't officially recorded in Merriam Webster's dictionary until 2016, when it became defined as 'casual clothing to be worn for exercising and for general use'. If you were to ask designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, however, the athleisure trend should be less about the exercising side of things and more about the interest that it can lend to personal style. It was arguably Mr Lagerfeld who first introduced this trend as part of his ongoing fascination with high-low fashion.
For the Chanel haute couture SS14 collection, Karl Lagerfeld subverted the track-and-field mind-set when he teamed upscale sneakers with lavish couture dresses. Custom made by atelier Massaro, a pair of these bespoke kicks reportedly took at least 30 hours to complete. Suffice to say this was not your average athletics carnival clothing, but it certainly did introduce the notion that we can borrow aspects of sportswear and still keep the look elevated overall. You don't have to just rely on a pair of sneakers either – try a jersey-inspired T-shirt to add interest to a pair of designer jeans.
The look endures with streetwear-inspired brands
Sports luxe as a concept transcends the trend cycles, in the sense that it cannot really be attributed to a particular season alone. In fact, athleisure has become something of a mainstay across many modern brands. This is particularly the case with streetwear-inspired labels such as Alexander Wang, whose principles have always been about effortless comfort and the blurred lines between fashion and culture. This was solidified when the brand’s namesake designer debuted the Adidas collaboration during SS17 New York Fashion Week.
For this collaborative collection, the look was deliberately head-to-toe, but sometimes the key to keeping your sporty outfits polished is to hone in on one sports-inspired piece in particular. A throwback to the sneakers styled with couture dresses idea, this could also be a collegiate style bomber jacket teamed with a pair of skinny black jeans and a ribbed tank, a look that has emerged as something of a model-off-duty uniform – and one that boasts just the right amount of varsity attitude.
Designers give logomania an elevated twist
As the sports luxe trend has gained ever more traction, designers have increasingly begun pushing the boundaries by refreshing a logoed approach. Recent seasons have seen a return to logomania at houses such as Gucci, reflecting fashion’s overall 80s revival right now. This trend invites the opportunity to experiment with branded clothing, while keeping things polished elsewhere in your outfit. Focusing on one key logo can be a great solution here, streamlining your look in understated Parisian fashion. Many streetwear-inspired labels have introduced their own branded clothing of late, which is something that featured at Off-White SS16 and beyond.
To this day Virgil Abloh’s Off-White label continues to deliver hoodies and T-shirts stamped with the brand's signature ‘OFF’ moniker. Meanwhile, the coveted logo T-shirts by Gucci,reminiscent of 80s sportswear, can be styled with streamlined basics like black trousers and a pair of loafers for good measure. Heritage sportswear brands have been stepping things up in this regard as well, both through designer collaborations and more fashion-focused sportswear offerings. And one certainly can’t ignore the cultural clout that comes with the signature triple stripe of sneakers by Adidas.
Ultimately, though, nailing sports luxe today is all a matter of balance – take some low-key elements, fold in some polish and mix well with your own sartorial whims.