We take a closer look at the category – and its sometimes troublesome nomenclature – with the founders of Public Rec, Rhone and Ten Thousand.
Writer: Carly Terwilliger A trend without a name is like the proverbial tree in the forest – if it’s on the rise but there’s no way to hashtag it on social media, does it exist? Athleisure as a term arose relatively organically as people started wearing their comfortable performance wear to the office, to brunch and darn near everywhere else. An avalanche of Lululemon pants later, it’s time to reexamine the trend. To that end, we checked the pulse of the category – and its sometimes troublesome nomenclature – with the founders of Public Rec, Rhone and Ten Thousand.
Status Update
“I know a lot of people in the industry don’t like using the term ‘athleisure,’ but it doesn’t really bother me. I think the idea behind it, what it’s been used to symbolize, is as relevant as ever – that being that clothes that cross over between work and play that generally have some sort of performance attributes in the fabric.” – Zach Goldsten, Public Rec
“Trends move quicker and quicker these days and athleisure is no exception. While I think stylistically it’s as relevant as ever, it has grown to mean so many different things that it’s hard to define exactly what it is and what it’s not, which is why more specific or nuanced terms are being used.” – Nate Checketts, Rhone
