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Fitness Fashion

A decade typified by its “power dressing,” the 1980s actually opened with stylish sportswear and the soft “New Romantics” style. Carrying on from the late 1970s trend for sportswear and encouraged by a fitness craze, women increasingly wore stylish gym wear in their day-to-day life.

When did fitness fashion become casualwear? A 1989 issue of Vogue discusses the prolific use of fitness fashion as casualwear when it claimed that the result of designer and sports brands designing "body-hugging actionwear" was "a whole new category of 'athleisure' dressing that's not just for exercising.

How did exercise fashions change in the 1970s? Yoga for physical fitness continued to gain popularity in the ensuing decade. Women’s fashion in the 1970s can be considered a very beige attempt to return to modernity after the psychedelic, post-modern fashions of the 1960s. However, exercise fashions of the 1970s were actually not a great departure from the decade before.

When did women start wearing gym clothes? Carrying on from the late 1970s trend for sportswear and encouraged by a fitness craze, women increasingly wore stylish gym wear in their day-to-day life. This was captured in Jennifer Beals’ attire in the 1983 movie Flashdance

Does fitness have a place in modern fashion? As such, throughout the history of modern fashion, physical fitness has always played a role. However, while sportswear fashions for activities like hunting, tennis, swimming, and bicycling have long histories, clothing specific to indoor exercise didn’t always have a place in a woman’s wardrobe.

The History of Fashion for Getting Physical Dress has an inseparable relationship to the body. As such, throughout the history of modern fashion, physical fitness has always played a role. However, while sportswear fashions for activities like hunting, tennis, swimming, and bicycling have long histories, clothing specific to indoor exercise didn’t always have a place in a woman’s wardrobe. Today’s massive market for exercise fashion has truly only been around since the “fitness craze” began in the seventies. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that women weren’t working out before that!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, workout clothes were the enemy. Just try planking in button-ups and bloomers or feeling good in baggy sweats. But the world has turned, and fitness has come into the limelight, leaving archaic dress codes in the shadows. If you’re headed to the gym, you’ll want workout apparel that lets you make your moves effortlessly and feel confident at the same time. Activewear Archives In the early 1900s in the US, sweating wasn’t considered a good thing, especially for women. That mindset stifled the forward trajectory of both workouts and workout clothes. Women exercising had to work harder at keeping their hair styled than building washboard abs. For a time, heeled shoes and long skirts were considered ideal for exercise wear. However, after WWI, sneakers jogged their way into the mainstream, followed by portable audio players and tights. Suddenly, everyone wanted the latest and greatest in workout gear. Woke Workout Clothes Despite decades that included baggy sweatsuits followed by tracksuits, fashion-forward items such as yoga pants, spandex, and wicking fabrics hit center stage. The evolution of activewear kept a reasonable pace with the notion that fitness was worth working at. Today, building a strong body is at the top of the priority list for many people. And no matter your gender, size, or shape, there’s activewear just for you. Activewear Goes Inclusive As society’s concept of fitness has expanded to include different body shapes, activewear has also become more inclusive. Today’s cutting edge exercise wear builds comfort, performance, and quality into functional designs that inspire you to get your body moving. Athleta leads the pack, using innovative fabrics such as SuperSonic, Powervita, and Powerlift, to rebuild activewear from the ground up. Whether your fitness thing is cold-weather trekking, running, yoga, tennis, or gym workouts, they have workout pieces to power your performance. Athleta now offers completely redesigned performance fits for sizes 1X through 3X. You’ll find everything from shimmer tights to tanks and tees that fit your body and, with their great look and design, keep you motivated.

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