Comfortable Athleisure Made Just for Men

By  //  March 30, 2021

As you may have noticed looking around your local gym these days, gym fashion for men has changed dramatically from even a few years ago. Gone are the faded cotton t-shirts, the tennis shorts, and white vests more at home in gyms that smell rust.

Modern men now wear much more aesthetically conscious, shape-defining clothing, purposely built for the new standard of gym wear and street fashion.

This new and prevalent fashion genre is called athleisure and is the combination of practical sportswear with comfortable leisure clothing. This revolution in gym fashion may have started with women and the ubiquitous use of yoga apparel. However, men and menswear designers have now realized the benefits and are getting involved.

In the gym

As versatile as athleisure for men can be for both street fashion, home wear, and sportswear, if it can’t fulfill its primary function of being good to use in the gym, there is little point in owning any.

Thankfully, most athleisure brands have focussed on this directive before thinking about its use elsewhere. Most garments that fit into this clothing category have been designed to be comfortable, sweat-wicking, and breathable.

Athleisure clothes are made primarily from fabrics that are both comfortable and hardwearing. These include:

■ Bamboo

■ Nylon

■ Polyester

■ Spandex

Bamboo, for example, is light, soft, and odor repellent, as well as breathable and hypoallergenic.

Unlike your old gym outfit, which may have involved a jumble of disparate clothing, athleisure has been created specifically for the gym. As such, designers have also considered all the various movements that you may perform when working out, making the clothing as flexible as possible.

Comfort and performance are what you are looking for in gym clothes; two criteria for athleisure hit perfectly.

In the street

As mentioned, the astonishing thing about athleisure is that it is a look that transitions straight from the gym or the playing field to the street. This is because, unlike very specific sportswear, athleisure has been created with a distinct understanding as to how the clothes will look in different contexts.

Designers have accomplished this in a variety of ways. One of the most impactful is athleisure’s consideration for body shape and silhouette. For example, the jogging bottoms are often designed with a tailored fit around the legs, so you don’t end up with the less appealing baggy look of previous generation jogging bottoms.

Another way athleisure has been made appropriate for casual situations is the use of color. Many brands use more muted colors and palettes that can be built on with other more statement-making pieces, which may come from another part of your wardrobe.

For example, you may wear grey tailored joggers with a green checkered shirt for a combination athleisure look. Thanks to their visually appealing utility, these elegant and restrained pieces can be used in a variety of situations. Such as:

■ A visit to a pub or restaurant.

■ Casual get-togethers.

■ Some more relaxed workplaces.

■ At home.

Time for a change? 

After reading this short article, you may be persuaded that athleisure is a type of clothing worth investing in. Indeed, it is comfortable, works hard when it needs to, and can be worn from the squat rack to the bar. However, before you go searching athleisure retailers in your browser, heed these few quick tips that will make sure you get the most of your athleisure look:

■ Wear it with stylish trainers.

■ Choose fabrics ideal for your needs.

■ Do not wear it all the time (as tempting as it might be)

■ Choose a variety of colors.