Top 5 Luxury Athleisure Brands

Gone are the days of constricting corsets and hard-to-walk-in miniskirts, as the trend now is easy-to-run-in athleisure high-fashion. Athleisure, that was once pushed into the narrow sportswear section, is rapidly making its way to the top with all the celebrities and the Kardashians donning it.

Athleisure skyrocketed as a trend after the sports industry propelled it to the front with breathable fabrics, stretchy textures, and baggy silhouettes; perfect for both a jog as well as an evening out. This alliance between urban wear and comfort eventually became vogue as people’s fashion preferences and priorities evolved.

Soon after its boom, athleisure quickly led to the concept of comfort luxury, and top fashion brands began toying with the versatility of activewear and merging it with avant-garde prints and fabrics.

Athleisure lines have all the drama- yoga pants, baggy hoodies, and sweatpants, all of which can be styled with impeccably fitted tops and classy sneakers. So, without further ado, let’s dive into these luxury athleisure brands which will make you stand out.

1. ALALA

Picking up cues from New York street style, an athleisure brand, Alala was born to denote athletic sophistication and exude power for women of all shapes and sizes. Alala is drawn from the name of a Greek Goddess, which signifies a battle cry or a call to pick up arms. The brand name itself epitomizes the strength and power Alala intends to lend modern women in their daily lives.

From bras to t-shirts and leggings, Alala has a lot to offer. It uses fabrics that are engineered out of luxury fabrics from around the world, and these are stretchy enough to be fitting but also breathable enough to prevent perspiration in hot climes. The fabrics are moisture-wicking and while the mesh cut-outs are actually designed to ensure breathability, they do a pretty good job at making you look aesthetic and as Instagram-ready as ever.

The best part? They come in a plethora of sizes, tailor-made for every unique body. Also, the waistband is crafted out of Powermesh so as to avoid any slip-downs and oh! Alala completely won over hearts when it introduced multiple pockets to stuff all the must-haves during a workout session. For the cherry on top, the brand’s clothing line comes in eye-catching and riveting prints, because, let’s be honest, everyone wants to look chic even when they’re all sweaty. All of this makes it a favourite of A-list celebrities like the gorgeous Gigi Hadid, the High School Musical Sweetheart Vanessa Hudgens and many more.

2. ALO

Mindfulness with magnificence. A brand founded in the spirit of yogis of the world who just also happen to be fashion aficionados. Alo believes in the transformative power of yoga as well as the healing power of suave and sophisticated earthy-toned apparel. Ever since the launch, the brand has released vivacious collections that have included yoga pants, blouses, leggings, etc., with sweat-wicking properties and fabrics which support as well as contour the body. It is definitely ‘luxury meets performance’ with Alo’s contemporary pieces as the clothes not only provide comfort and strength to get throughout a high-intensity workout but also come in beautiful colours and have multiple hidden pockets to store secret stashes of toners and well, some gum.

Moreover, Alo offers breathable and standout fabrics which ‘sport’ cut-outs, a rip here and there, strappy silhouettes and of course, some mesh details. You’ll never see Alo falling behind on any contemporary fads whether it be colourblocking or including warm spring pastel colours like teal. Other than that, Alo’s work culture is entirely sustainable with solar power usage, recycling programs, and yoga sessions in breaks. The amalgamation of this has landed the brand’s clothing in the closets of the likes of Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift; proving Alo clothing is both studio and street friendly.

3. Ivy Park

Beyonce is undoubtedly the Queen of everything and when she saw a gap in the luxury athleisure wear, guess what? She jumped right in. Named after her daughter, Blue Ivy, this brand was birthed by mother, Beyonce, and father, Philip Green of TopShop who are equal partners in this venture, but now is in a collab with Adidas.

The fabric of the brand is cultivated upon the theory to empower women through liveable and stylish clothing after years of discomfort. The line contains bodysuits, leggings, headbands, and everything leisurewear with a side of avant-garde baggy street style. Beyonce says “My goal is to push the boundaries of athletic wear and support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance.”

Beyonce being the cultural powerhouse she is, helped the brand skyrocket. Collection lines consist of comfortable fabrics with silhouettes like slit bootcut pants, mesh crop tops that are both high-fashion and work out friendly. The brand chartered into the unknown territory of sneakers too with Adidas while also churning out clothes with eye-popping tints. As the first black woman to turn into the sole owner of such a huge luxury brand, her brand is synonymous with freedom and individuality. Her clothing lines are thus, seen on Zendaya, Cardi B, Rita Ora, and many more with oversized utilitarian jumpsuits and crops to Run The World.

4. Sweaty Betty

Sweaty Betty was founded when activewear wasn't a fashion category, and whatever gym clothes that existed were ‘dark, boring, masculine, and shapeless.’ There was a dire need of boosting fitness apparel to make them not only appealing to work out in, but also form-fitting and multi-functional. And then entered Sweaty Betty.

Sweaty Betty’s yoga pants are bound to get you in a mood to give your best shot at exercising. With fabrics that are as soft as skin, the brand has introduced leggings the perfectly balanced thickness so they are opaque enough to avoid malfunctions and thin enough for hotter weathers. The leggings come in a variety ranging from high-waisted ones that shape and lift the body to power mesh leggings that are perfect for both yoga and the runway.

Aside from comfort, Sweaty Betty is known for its floral and quirky prints that can light up your day with a beautiful colour palette worth dying for. Various A-list celebrities fill up the Instagram Page of the brand with their reviews of the fashionability and comfort of the brand. Additionally, the brand uses sustainable fabrics like Italian Fleece, organic cotton, and bamboo and has future plans to expand this eco-friendly campaign.

5. Tory Sport

Tory Burch dipped her toes in the 2004 athleisure trend, a well-calculated move that got her many laurels and praise. Tory Sport is a miscellany of high-performance track pants merged with an outgoing attitude of peppy prints. “I wanted the clothes to be functional and super-technical, but not in the design details,” mused the designer.

This clothing line is the epitome of dreamy and cute work out clothing with ruffled sneakers and yoga pants embossed with dainty flowers. The brand is drenched in the American spirit of elegance with colour combinations made in heaven. The new gorgeous tie and dye editions have the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba swooning all over them.

Making athleisure luxury surely wasn’t easy but there’s nothing Tory cannot do. The brand uses top-notch quality fabrics for high-performance, all of which are breathable, moderately thin, and moisture-wicking. According to Tory, “Tory Sport is a modern play on iconic Seventies activewear. Classic styles are reimagined in high-performance fabrics and graphic prints.”