Hoodie gets the Apple treatment December 10, 2012   Subscribe This is the greatest sweatshirt known to man? Maybe, but is it also the start of a revolution of American innovation in garment design?American Giant is gambling that you and I will be willing to pay for quality. American-made quality to boot. That the humble sweatpant and sweatshirt can get an Apple-style industrial design makeover is not in question. But will the business model compete with the foreign-made stuff we've grown accustomed to paying less for?The term athleisure is typically associated with women’s yoga pants, tank tops and tees. But men looking to upgrade from messy sweats are getting in on the action, too. And retailers are jumping on board. One of those retailers is J.C. Penney Co. , which launched a new line of “active lifestyle apparel for men” with “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan on May 21. MSX by Michael Strahan includes polo shirts, jogging pants and chinos, and merchandise made with quick-drying, stretch fabrics, a departure from Strahan’s more tailored first J.C. Penney line, Collection by Michael Strahan.

MSX by Michael Strahan is available in about 500 stores and online. “MSX by Michael Strahan is more than just sweats and hoodies,” said Strahan in a statement emailed to MarketWatch. “This line differs from what is considered women’s athleisure as its fit compliments a man’s body and the materials give him flexibility and range without the spandex typically found in women’s athleisure apparel.” With few hot fashion trends right now, athleisure has been a bright spot in a dreary apparel landscape. Designers on the high end, like Tory Burch, who introduced Tory Burch Sport last year, as well as traditional athletic fashion brands like Nike Inc. , have beefed up their offerings for women looking for outfits that say, “I’m active ... but stylish.” Men want their wardrobes to make that same statement. According to research conducted by Mintel, 66% of men say they are stylish, and 52% are dressing for comfort ahead of style. “Men are embracing a cross between style and comfort and are stepping up their casual wear to accomplish more formal looks,” said Rupa Ghosh, travel, leisure and retail analyst at Mintel, in a statement on a recent release focused on the “casualization” of the men’s fashion market.

The men’s clothing market reached $67.1 billion in 2015, according to Mintel. A third of men plan to spend more on clothing in 2016 than they did last year. hoodles inverurieSee also: These retailers are profiting off of the ‘Amazon effect’ “A number of retailers now have some representation of athleisure lines in their inventory/merchandise, and many use celebrity endorsements to market this product to men,” Ghosh said in a separate report.assassin's creed arno hoodie The MSX by Michael Strahan tag line is “everywear for everywhere,” according to the TV personality and former pro athlete.chive hoodie price J.C. Penney’s new line with NFL Hall of Famer Strahan hits both of those trends. “The MSX by Michael Strahan tag line is ‘everywear for everywhere,’ ” Strahan said. “

You can truly wear it from your house to lunch to see your friends, to pick up your kids, to the gym — and never look out of place in any of those settings.” See also: Can Dick’s Sporting Goods hang on to its current lead over Amazon? A capacity to make an easy transition from one venue to another — “performance features, more refined, keeping up with a busy lifestyle,” according to James Starke, senior vice president of men’s apparel at J.C. Penney — is a hallmark of athleisure fashion. “The men’s business is very broad, and we have strengths and opportunities,” said Starke. “Activewear is a big opportunity.” , probably the brand most associated with athleisure wear for women, has also been capitalizing on male interest in the trend. The company reported 24% growth in the men’s category for the fourth quarter, said Chief Executive Laurent Potdevin, according to a FactSet transcript of the company’s March 30 earnings call. Lululemon “is only getting started in the men’s category,” Potdevin said.

Opportunity also exists for smaller companies like American Giant, which sells hoodies, T-shirts and joggers for both men and women directly from the company’s website. According to Chief Executive Bayard Winthrop, that company is focused on quality clothing that has good styling and fit and is “in-law appropriate.” “You can wear it and not feel like a schlub,” Winthrop said. This clothing is also for more than just the weekend. “There are a lot of young, entrepreneurial people who aren’t wearing button-ups and khakis,” he said. So, like many things, this is a trend that has strong support among millennials. “Fashion-focused millennials and a general societal shift toward healthier living appear to be two factors driving growth in the men’s athleisure category,” said Jared Wiesel, partner at the pricing and revenue-management consulting firm Revenue Analytics. “Set against a backdrop of floundering apparel sales, this category is likely to grow increasingly competitive as new players enter and fight for share of wallet.”

Mintel’s Men’s Clothing U.S. 2016 report found that 80% of 25- to 34-year-old men had purchased athletic clothing worn both in and out of the gym. “While ‘stylishness’ in the past had a specific mainstream formula, in today’s society, a hoodie, T-shirt and jeans combined with a carefully selected carry-all bag may be considered ‘stylish’ by some men in a particular setting,” said Ghosh. See also: Amazon is about to overtake Macy’s as the biggest seller of clothing in U.S.A new sneak peek video of the winter line was uploaded to YouTube. Here are some screen caps. The initial scene opens with a new patterned Swiftly and run tights. I would think these might be tech fleece but they could be brushed luxtreme. Update - a reader thinks the top could be merino wool. She could be right, the bottom hem is not consistent with swiftly tops. Showing a new vest and pullover underneath. I am hoping that pullover is luxtreme. Lululemon's boot cut and flared yoga pant.

Yoga pants are a type of flexible, form-fitting pants designed for the practice of yoga as well as other physical activities that involve a lot of movement, bending and stretching. They are typically worn for sports and physical exercise, martial arts, dancing, pilates, or aerobics. These pants are generally made from a blend of cotton, lycra spandex, nylon, polyester, wool, or a similarly light and stretchy synthetic material giving the pants a very soft, smooth, polished and silky finish when worn.[2] Although designed specifically for yoga, the pants are also casually worn as everyday dress by many women. Yoga pants are commonly used in activities involving physical exercise, such as yoga. According to Anu Hastings with the product database Indix, over 2,700 types of so-called "yoga pants" are now available on the market. There are various types and styles, including the traditional boot-cut and flared yoga pants with flat waistbands.[10] The typical type of yoga pants traditionally come in black, are tight-fitted, boot-cut, and flared style, are reversible, carry a four way stretch fabric and have a flat elastic waistband folded over at the top.

The traditional boot-cut and flared yoga pants with waistbands are the most well-known and most popular type, generally used for casual wear, active wear, lounge wear, maternity wear, dancewear, or clubwear.[16] They are tight-fitted, giving them flexibility and comfort as well as the moisture-wicking fabrics within the pants move perspiration away from the body to the fabric's outer surface where it can evaporate giving the pants an advantage when worn during physical activities that exert heavy perspiration keeping the wearer cool and comfortable.[17] The flat and fold-over waists are utilized to provide flexibility, comfort, coverage, style, breathability and versatility. Flat and fold-over waist boot cut and flare yoga pants are commonly used as casual wear, workout and exercise wear, maternity wear, making errands, lounging around the house, yoga class, or as clubwear as women would wear the body-hugging pants to permit freedom of movement when dancing during nights out at their local nightclub.

[24] Typically, the more spandex contained in the yoga pants, the more likely they are to be used as exercise, dance, or clubwear.[26] The more cotton fabrics are more commonly used for loungewear. There are various types and styles of yoga pants in addition to the traditional.[32] The flared yoga pants are also commonly used as dancewear allowing it to stretch and for the ease of movement it affords. They also typically have combinations of stretchy fabric blends offered by lycra spandex and nylon giving the pants a rich and silky appearance and feel when worn. Crop-fitted yoga pants lie above the ankle (similar to capri pants), and are oftentimes utilized for a more flattering, versatile, and dressier look during warmer times of the year.[34] They are used commonly as casual wear, activewear, for making errands, lounging, or as clubwear on a night out.[] The flared yoga pants are often paired with flip-flops, running shoes, flats, or Ugg boots, worn along with hoodies, shawls, cardigans or wraps paired with a tank top or shirt tucked underneath.

[43] Due to their high elasticity, yoga pants are comfortable enough to be worn during many different occasions. Yoga pants were originally created for use practicing yoga but over the years, due to their increased popularity, they have developed into an everday mainstream clothing item that can be found in classrooms, gymnasiums, restaurants, shopping malls all to way to the dance floors of nightclubs. Demand for comfortable active, athletic, sports and casual wear has increased since the turn of the 21st century.[48] Nike, Inc. reported their women’s business comprised 7 billion in 2010[49] and the larger market grew to $33.6 billion by 2015.[50] Nike claims the driving factor has been by the demand for fashionable workout gear that is also flattering. New colors, patterns, and structural design of yoga pants created more versatility and increased their wear in public settings. Author Mae Anderson described the new craze of yoga pants outside the gym by calling them the "new jeans."

Many high-end fashion houses to mass-market trend-chasers have been capitalizing on the growth of the modern sportswear market leading an emphasis on technical fabrics and garments that have made yoga pants to be worn as everyday dress by many women. Market research analysts have sought to explain the trend by referencing the extension of work hours in major cities across North America, leading to a “day-to-night” than a “gym-to-work” one while other explanations cite the North American passion for fitness and healthy living. In the United States, reaction to the wider adoption of yoga pants proved somewhat controversial for schools.[52] Some schools adopted dress codes banning yoga pants for all students, or banning them only for female students.[55] Bitch magazine argued such bans are largely gendered, focusing on the damage caused by "distraction" by girls;[56] similar complaints caused a ban in Rockport, Massachusetts to be quickly reversed. There are others who agree with the banning of yoga pants in public.

Most often the reasoning for disagreeing with wearing yoga pants publicly is that they promote a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Amanda Hallay, professor of fashion and cultural history at New York City’s LIM College, was interviewed for her opinion on yoga pants being a replacement for jeans. She stated, “Yoga pants are a step above pajamas and we don't wear pajamas out to lunch, and we certainly don't wear them to work. Pajamas are for sleeping in, and ergo, not appropriate to wear in any other setting. The same can be said for yoga pants. Yoga pants are to be worn while doing yoga." Yoga pants being worn in public can be perceived as inappropriate and unattractive. According to Hallay, to promote a more business-like or mature persona, a person should dress as such. In the U.S. state of Montana, some lawmakers have attempted to ban the wearing of yoga pants in public, deeming them to be inappropriate. Major yogawear brands include Victoria's Secret, TNA Aritzia, Hard Tail, Athleta, Lucy Activewear, Lululemon Athletica, and Prana.