Athleisure is not just a trend — it's a fundamental shift in how Americans dress

plive importer

February 4, 2017 6:21 PM

These days, it seems that every major retailer is trying to jump on what was once thought to be the dominant trend of the 2010s, but is now increasingly seen as a radical shift in how Americans approach their clothes.

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"Athleisure is the new casual," Deirdre Clemente, a professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Business Insider.

Clemente, whose research focus is on 20th-century American culture and the fashion industry, said she's "

It's combining two trends that have dominated American casual clothing — durability and comfort — in a versatile way.

"Styling is evolving to merge business casual and sportswear into one," Clemente said. "Durability of sportswear and the versatility of business casual — put those two things together, and who's not going to want to buy it?"

Americans are being drawn to athleisure in larger numbers every year. In 2015, while the whole of retail sales were flat for the year, sales of athletic wear were up 12%, according to Fortune.

While athletic wear was created for a specific use — sports or athletics, obviously — athleisure clothing isn't. And it's this versatility that has attracted many consumers to the category. It can be worn in most offices and social situations without causing anyone to bat an eye. It's also generally more durable, with properties like wrinkle and odor resistance incorporated into its tech-infused fibers.

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