Nice try jeans industry and streetwear brands, but the yoga pant isn’t budging.
The flood of Peloton ads, the popularity of daily dairies and the long lunchtime lines at clean-eating spots like Dr Smood and Dig Inn are tell-all signs that people are resolving to live a more balanced lifestyle in 2019. And according to a new report by retail analytics firm, Edited, new healthy habits should bode well for the activewear industry.
“With many of us checking in and making time for self-care with activities such as yoga, our attitude to health and fitness now has a focus on the process over product,” Edited wrote.
As fitness routines evolve from gym rat to more mindful activities like yoga, stretching and restorative exercises, traditional sports brands are expanding their assortment.
Case in point: Edited says the amount of yoga products in stock in 2018 increased 35.8 percent compared to 2016, with yoga leggings being among the biggest winners. The amount of the stretchy bottoms at retail increased 87 percent from 2017 to 2018.
However, with more non-athletic retailers and brands dabbling in the activewear category, Edited noted that the average price of yoga leggings decreased by $20 from the first quarter of 2016.
Those non-traditional activewear brands are certainly clued into the fashion wants of the new fitness consumer often taking style cues from their ready-to-wear collections and the runway.
In the U.S., Edited says grey and white are the “most favored” color scheme in activewear products. Figure-flattering high-rise leggings are also the most popular style for replenishments. The color palette is popular in the U.K. too, making up 56.8 percent of the activewear in stock online. The monochromatic look is punched up with graphics and stripes, which make up half of the patterns across the product assortment, Edited said.
And the resurgence of bike shorts, neon apparel and Reebok is a telling sign that the activewear category is slated for a ’90s reboot.
“This year, we expect more nostalgic references, a loosening of silhouette on workout layers and fully relaxed aesthetics,” Edited wrote.
The trend has proven to be gangbusters for footwear, denim and sportswear. Meanwhile, suppliers like Pantone have prepared for the impending injection of color with new color systems for polyester.