Every café you walk into these days are filled with waves of lycra and colour as active wear takes over woman’s wardrobes by storm.
Gone are the days where woman need to have three different outfits per day and rather, one pair of comfy leggings which can be dressed up, dressed down, worked out in or even swam in!
Just as a runner buys new trainers to motivate them to go for a run, woman are purchasing new tight and bright lycra to enthuse them to work out more.
As functional fashion is centralised around our busy lives it makes the transitions between work and working out, sweating and socialising easier. Plus, it looks good and has become commonplace so we're more comfortable wearing it.
Due to this trending “fit fashion”, general apparel has seen a downturn. Meanwhile, the athletic apparel industry increased 8.3 per cent from 2006 to 2012, according to an industry outlook report by Ken Research.
Fit fashion was even at the front and centre at last year's New York Fashion Week Cara Delvingne, in a pink croptop, matching leggings and running shoes, looked like she accidentally stepped on to the Chanel runway at Paris fashion week instead of her treadmill.
Scientists have also found that the body can influence the brains decision-making process as much as the brain’s thoughts and beliefs can influence the body. So with this said, if you wear practical active wear, you truly are more likely to be active!
The reason being is that you are in the second stage in the transtheoretical stages for change, which is called contemplation, ie you are dressed ready to go.
If you are wearing general apparel, you are in pre-contemplation which is one step behind fit fashion ladies.
The source of active wear you choose will also determine your environmental impact as most brands are made predominantly of polyester which is the second largest source of waste, on the contrary there are a few brands which are actually made of sustainable fabrics which will in fact break down in land fill.
One last benefit of wearing active wear as everyday wear is that if you find a pair of versatile leggings which you can add basic tees, denim jackets or bikini tops, you will actually save money on pairing these items with traditional combinations.
For any personal styling requests on how to find your perfect personality pants, feel free to DM the team at Carra Lee Collective.
