Activewear Clothing - Types, Brands, Fabrics

Activewear Clothing – Types, Brands, Fabrics

Shubham Anil Jain
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited
Bangalore, India
Email: shubhamajain125@gmail.com

Introduction:
Activewear or Sportswear is any apparel, including shoes, worn for physical activity or participation in sports. For practical, comfortable, or safety reasons, most sports and physical activity include the wearing of specialised gear. Usain Bolt (in yellow) and other runners dressed in athletic clothing. Tracksuits, shorts, T-shirts, and polo shirts are examples of common sportswear. Swimsuits (for swimming), wet suits (for diving or surfing), ski suits (for skiing), and leotards are examples of specialty clothing (for gymnastics). Trainers, football boots, riding boots, and ice skates are examples of sports footwear. Sportswear also includes several crop tops and bikinis. Activewear can occasionally be worn as everyday attire.

Which Materials / Fabrics are Used to Make Activewear?

Activewear is made of textiles that must be comfortable, flexible enough to allow for a wide range of motion, and durable because it was designed to be worn when exercising, playing sports, or enjoying time outdoors.
These three requirements should be met by materials used in sportswear at the very least, but many fabrics go above and beyond. For instance, sweat-wicking textiles are frequently used in training attire because they help you stay cool by naturally removing sweat and moisture from the body.
Other top-selling textiles have anti-odor qualities that stop sweat odor from remaining in your clothing even after washing.
As you’ll be perspiring while wearing activewear, it’s great for the textiles to be both extremely breathable and lightweight. Although synthetic materials like polyester mixes have historically been used to make the majority of athletic apparel, a new wave of natural fabrics has completely revolutionized the market.
Bamboo is a natural moisture-wicker, breather, has anti-odor characteristics to keep odours at bay, offers UPF 50+ sun protection, and is lightweight in addition to being soft, flexible, and highly durable.
The best news is that bamboo fabrics already have all of these properties, unlike synthetic fabrics, which require chemical treatments to get them.
Due to the lack of dyes and chemical finishes that are present in so many other brands, sportswear manufactured from bamboo is probably less likely to irritate the skin of active people with sensitive skin.

Various Popular Activewear Brands:

1. Alo Yoga:
The Hadid twins and Candice Swanepoel, two supermodels who conduct a series of online workouts for the company, are associated with Alo Yoga, whose designs are exactly the kind of activewear you’ll see in yoga studios and paparazzi photos of famous people.

2. Girlfriend Collective:
Girlfriend Collective goes above and beyond by providing an environmental recipe for each item in addition to their extended size policy, which includes these maternity leggings. For instance, their frequently sold-out cycle unitard saves 26 water bottles from the trash, compared to the 12 saved by their Dylan bra.

3. Adidas:
With the most well-liked shapes from Adidas, sleek lines give way to upcycled cult classics. Adidas collaborates with the Better Cotton Initiative to assist sustainable cotton production and produce vivid bestsellers like sweater vests and cardigans in candy-colored hues for its Adicolor Heritage line.

4. Lululemon:
Leggings from Lululemon and their moulded outerwear are legendary among exercise enthusiasts. In addition, the company’s fastest-drying fabric, EverluxTM, draws sweat away from the body with a soft, skin-friendly texture. A new scuba collection offers oversize essentials for land, not sea.

5. Nike:
Nike has discovered the ideal market for high-performance fitness clothing that passes for regular clothing. Its DRI-Fit technology, used in compression pieces in addition to soft sweats and puffers, is thinner (yet somehow stronger) than conventional stretch yarns for a featherlight touch that allows you to move more freely.

You may also like: Different Types of Clothes with Pictures

6. Lacoste:
The most recent Lacoste designs, according to the company’s chief business officer Catherine Spindler, “produce flexible garments to accompany women’s lives.” Lacoste’s sports classics are made to take you from the competition to the club, whether it’s their Goop collaboration or a tennis classic (after all, the brand’s founder, René Lacoste, invented the polo shirt).

Different Types of Activewear Clothing:

1. Athletic bras:
If you think you can exercise in regular bras, you’re mistaken. The only way to prevent the painful bounce and stress on your bust area is to wear a sports bra. They help prevent future sagging and offer the most support possible during demanding workout sessions. You must select a sports bra based on the sort of activity you will be doing because there are three different types of sports bras available: low, medium, and high impact.

2. Tights:
You don’t want to feel constrained while exercising, do you? For this, you must invest in high-quality workout tights. The narrow fit not only adds style but also makes moving around more comfortable by eliminating friction. They shield you from chafing and keep you secure. You can choose from a variety of lengths, particularly in capris and full size, to discover something that matches your fashion sense.

3. T-Shirts:
You want the right kind of Shirt to arrive to complete the look of your entire game. You can purchase a range of women’s fitness t-shirts to keep you dry when participating in Zumba or working out. Because to their stylish racerbacks and patterns, they make it simpler for you to exercise.

4. Sports shorts:
They are the best option for a clothing item that avoids chafing on hot summer days. Although sweating is inevitable, wearing the proper sportswear will help you focus on your workout. The wide elastic band inside works to further support the abdomen. Regular shorts and cycling shorts are the two variants. Conversely, conventional women’s activewear shorts fit more loosely than cycling shorts and are quite comfortable.

5. Joggers or track pants:
If you want something more fitted than tights, track pants are a great option. They are constructed from fabric that wicks moisture away and has a 4-way flexibility to allow for easy movement. There are also variants with drawstring closures, which allow you to accentuate your waist and tighten the fit. Because track trousers include pockets, you can put your valuables there.

6. Tank tops:
They are a must-have item if you want your routine to be simple. They are versatile because you may wear them with any bottom. The fabric’s capacity for ventilation also makes it perfect for hot summer days, lowering body temperature and increasing productivity.

7. Jackets:
They are a great alternative for the colder months and can be worn to the gym. Get one if you don’t already have one. Coats are a great addition to your fitness wardrobe because you may wear them for regular practice and it helps you to keep warm.

Conclusion:
After reading more about activewear, you have a better understanding of its nature, concept, and goal. People of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds enjoy wearing activewear because it is fashionable and in style. It is a unifying style that gives us the confidence to face the day with a grin while also allowing us to feel at ease in our own skin and look gorgeous. It has been strongly urge to try activewear if you haven’t already. Choose a pair of leggings and a sports bra that are appropriate for you to wear first.

References:

https://www.textileblog.com/sports-textiles-applications-properties-opportunities/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswear
https://www.tascperformance.com/blogs/articles/what-is-activewear
https://gearbaron.com/articles/what-is-activewear/
https://www.vogue.com/article/best-activewear
https://www.jumpusa.in/blogs/news/the-importance-of-activewear

You may also like:

Mazharul Islam Kiron

Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. He is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.