We take a look at the trends driving activewear sales in London stores this January. From new colour directions, key shapes, fabrics and innovations, we see activewear continue to bridge the gap between casualwear and loungewear and where disrupter brands like Alo Yoga and On Running and boutique brands Varley and Born lead a UK high street takeover.
Not a traditional sportswear colour, rich chocolate browns are saturating the market from brands such Lululemon, Varley and Nike. At Alo Yoga tonal shades for sweats and borg hoodies, base layers, shiny bitter chocolate leggings and co-ordinating sports bras, layered under chocolate nylon puffer jackets and parkas creating a highly 'instagrammable' uniform for a younger demographic.
Print direction for gym and loungewear is inspired by new animal prints. From mini leopard prints in monochrome, to nudes and neutrals for blurred leopard spots and python skin prints. Animal skin designs for seamless jacquards remain popular but are enhanced by new colour ranges, and recoloured animal patchwork prints at Gym Shark give animal designs a new look.
This season's newest colour is clay pink, seen as a key colour for yogawear, running and loungewear. Earthy pink levels are used for base layers, performance nylons and sweats and borgs at Nike and On Running or tonal colour blocked on leggings at Under Armour
This season, tones of pale purple to pinky lilac dominate activewear. Marbled prints at Stella McCartney, where soft olive greens are a sympathetic compliment to a lilac palette. Melange effect seamless activewear at Gym Shark or pretty cosy fleece at Adidas. Flashes of lilac are seen on trainers and accessories.
Punchy and powerful pink and orange combinations add impact to an activewear palette. Bright near neon pinks for sports bras and legging sets at Nike and Beyond Yoga. Orange and pink for graphic prints and colour blocked for yoga wear at On Running and Varley.
Adidas by Stella McCartney continues to innovate and stand out for the crowd with her innovation and bold style statements. Leading in seamless design innovation Stella's seamless recycled 'Truestrength' collection is designed for cold weather activities, styled with contour lines and jacquard panels. Born Living Yoga's seamless collection features raised contour seams and rib details to streamline the body form.
The trend to contour and streamline the body, where silicone printed contour lines amplify the body form, as seen on activewear at Adidas by Stella McCartney and Nike. Contrast rubberised prints for leggings, sports bras create ergonomic silhouettes and are also printed in reflective materials for added visibility.
Activewear brand Gym Shark's Oxford Street store is one stop workout wonderland with onsite gym classes, fitness consultants, health cafe and the full Gym Shark clothing collection. The master of seamless styling, this season Gym Shark have tie dyed on top of geo jacquards in coppery tones, camouflage and animal print jacquards. Whilst, Victoria's Secret's Pink collection geo jacquard seamless bras and leggings shimmer with lurex panels.
The bodysuit sees a revival, but this season with a sportswear end-use. Racerback styling, medium compression for a sculpting fit at or ribbed with turtle-neck and long sleeves at Alo Yoga. Lululemon's square necks and skin tones are great for basic layering, whilst Gym Shark offers a one shoulder body, super sleek and high cut.
As racquet sports become the activity du jour, brands Varley, Nike, Alo Yoga and Staud have all launched tennis collections. Focus on tennis whites, contrast stripe trims and mesh inserts.The pleated tennis mini skirt and tennis skort transition from court side to streetside.
The perennial sports legging gets a fabric makeover with the hi-shine satin compression fabrics that wick sweat to help stay cool and dry. Panelled and fabric blocked with a matt jersey for a streamlined silhouette at Adidas and Nike or hi-shine nylon for a sleek yoga pant at Free People and Alo Yoga.
The 'unitard" builds momentum and now featuring in most sportswear collections. Full length or short, the unitard looks newer in ribbed compression seamless as seen at Born Living Yoga. Knitted and strappy at Gym Shark, the unitard has become a loungewear and activewear must have.
The newest sports bra silhouette is the corset style. Layered street style over hoodies and sweats or ribbed with long sleeves at Nike or seamed with sheer panels at Sweaty Betty, the corset transitions from lingerie to sportswear. Victoria;s Secrets Pink's loungwear corset is panelled in rib jersey, whilst at Alo Yoga the corset sports top is boned in hi shine lycra.
Grunge street styling at Nike, where layered looks steal from basketball, track and gym to creating a mash up of sports influences. The master of street styling Nike plays into a cultural clash of cultures and tribes, creating it's own trends developed with intuitive collaborations with musicians, sports celebrities and mavericks.