FASHION
Athleisure Across the Ages
By: Lianna Gourmos Edited by: Bella Gallus
Not everybody has the talent and grit to be a professional athlete—but everyone has the ability to dress up like one. Over time, trends in athletic clothing have changed drastically, and in return have affected stigmas and cultures surrounding exercise and wellness. Even entertainment plays a role in the products clothing companies push out, such as the Challengers (2024) movie release spiking a “tennis player aesthetic” frenzy. While earlier athleisure trends were more practical for their designated activities, the style has become much more normalized in day-to-day life, and athleisure is appreciated for its aesthetic value.
Through different eras in fashion history, athleisure has held varying levels of popularity. Elle Magazine says women’s athleisure made specifically for sports traces back to the late 1800s, featuring lace-up shoes, dresses made from heavy material, and large “fancy hats.” These trends are relevant to boxing and tennis crazes that occurred during this time. It wasn’t until 1928 that women’s athleisure became more carefree and chic. Graphic patterns, stylish cuts and lighter fabric appealed to female golfers, who wanted to look fashionable, yet still be able to play sports in comfort.
For decades after, sports fashion has had its fair share of successes and flops. English tennis player Angela Buxton made tennis skirts popular in the 1950s with her original designs, while fitness legend Jane Fonda took the world by storm with the aerobics aesthetic in the 1980s. Today, we notice that fitness fashion has “evolved to the point of being anti-fitness,” according to Elle. People want to get the most wear out of their comfortable gym clothes by making their outfits chic enough for daily wear. Athletic clothing has always impacted exercise culture, yet trends have differed across time periods. Gym rat or not, everybody wants to look good while they are working out. So what really makes athleisure “fashionable?” Is it the fit of the clothes? Is it the celebrities wearing them? Images in the media constantly influence society’s view of fashion—and athleisure is no exception.
Athletics depicted in entertainment has a particularly strong impact on athleisure fashion trends. Challengers (2024), directed by Luca Guadagnino, stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a rising tennis star and coach. Duncan’s fashion choices over the course of the film are of impeccable taste, both on and off the tennis court. In a party scene, Duncan wears a stunning, strapless blue mini-dress as she plants the love triangle seed featured in the film. Meanwhile, her infamous “I Told Ya” graphic t-shirt has become a well-loved pop culture reference, as the Challengers costume designer thought it radiated “old-money nonchalance.” Duncan’s outfits emphasize her goals and personality: she possesses wit, grit, and determination, stopping at nothing until she gets what she wants.
Zendaya being such an established Hollywood icon contributes greatly to why fans adore Duncan’s character. Zendaya is known not only for her acting, but for her fashion influence and charming personality as well. As she portrays this role of a hardcore “girlboss” athlete, her fans have become fixated on the romanticized, artistic image of professional athleticism. Tashi Duncan has even inspired her own personal aesthetic by her namesake, which features pieces like velour tracksuits, Adidas tennis shoes, and early 2000s-inspired tank tops. Zendaya looks effortlessly fashionable onscreen, her character’s sense of style correlating with her confidence in her tennis skills. Even in the movies, people who look good in the clothes they work out in appear as though they know exactly what they are doing. They radiate determination, confidence…Tashi Duncan, if you will. Following the Challengers release, the rise in athleisure outfits in everyday life is evident.
The confidence that comes with wearing athleisure expands beyond professional sports or even recreational exercise activities. Perhaps this explains why in recent years, people have started wearing athletic clothing in unexpected fashion scenarios. Especially in younger generations, it is not a complete oddity to see a Lululemon Align top paired with jeans for a night out. Even tennis skirts have become well-loved by non-tennis players. These clothing articles may not be traditionally fashionable, but they do serve a purpose: they flatter the wearer. The Lululemon Align top is supposed to support the wearer through low-effort exercise activities without discomfort. However, it’s flattery to the figure makes it attractive to wear during other activities, such as a party. Tennis skirts are also popular amongst people who appreciate their flattering silhouette and comfort. Most tennis skirts have built-in shorts underneath, providing a sense of security to the wearer without sacrificing the cute cut of the skirt. Both Lululemon Align tops and tennis skirts have reputations of making their wearers feel confident when they wear the clothing, and while some may argue that athleisure is unfashionable, others prioritize the effects of athletic clothing on self-confidence and determination as applied to their everyday lives.
For decades, the overall appeal of incorporating athleisure into everyday outfits has evolved with changing trends in the world of professional athletics. Athletes such as Angela Buxton contributed to inventing athletic fashion, while celebrities like Zendaya continue to shape the fashion landscape through portraying various characters on screen. The confident demeanor tied to the idea of professional athletics makes the fashion all the more glamorized to the public. Maybe the “Tashi Duncan” aesthetic is more than just a passing fad. It may be the passageway to a shifting attitude towards the intertwining of high fashion and athletics.
