fitness in Fashion Trends
Whether or not you’re a gym junkie, you’ll likely be dressing like one soon enough.
If there’s anything fashion people are as fanatical about as getting their hands on their favorite designers’ collections each season, it’s getting into their favorite workout classes each week. They all have their alliances, whether it’s to a particular yoga teacher, a state-of-the-art Pilates reformer class or a boutique spin studio, and, naturally, they’re not going to show up in just any old pair of sweats. Having the right high-end workout gear has become just as important. Of course, this phenomenon is not limited to the fashion community, though the industry has seen an uptick in sports-inspired clothing and activewear as daywear in 2017.
Activewear sales are booming, and the active sports category is the fastest-growing segment of the market. Consumer market research firm NPD reported that sales of activewear and athletic footwear reached $36 billion, and that sales in this category were growing faster than other apparel — they were up seven percent.
Meanwhile, running, cycling and team sports are amongst India’s fastest trending exercises — the number of gyms in the country is projected to rise 7 percent year-on-year till 2020 — and the rise of social media in the country has shifted consumer perception of what is now considered to be ‘body-beautiful’. A growing number of consumers – both female and male – are emulating the daily fitness routines and sportswear purchases of Bollywood stars and famous athletes.
People have now started leading more workout oriented lives, whether it is a walk or a jog in the morning or Zumba or Yoga or the Gym in the evening. This rise lead to activewear being accepted as regular wear as they became a larger part of people’s everyday wardrobes.
With these social, cultural and market shifts continuing in the years to come, India is gearing up for its biggest sporting boom to date. This makes the country’s activewear sector increasingly attractive to a host of local and international brands. Here we have conducted a market research on Active wear.
Yoga boosts active wear clothing business
Introduction of an International Yoga Day and fitness wave among millennials have made active wear more mainstream. With running, cycling and yoga becoming part of individual lifestyles and corporates pushing fitness, active wear is fast replacing the casual attire.
According to fashion e-tailers, active wear has become a new segment of casual or even professional wear, which is slowly eating into the share of regular T-shirts. “For every four T-shirts bought, the third or fourth is a sporty or a yoga Tshirt. In the bottom wear, yoga pants are eating into the share of formal trousers, khakis or denims”. said Pulkit Jain of Jabong. He said while active wear is at a 30% premium compared to their casual counterparts, the category is witnessing a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%.
While top global brands such as Fila and Puma are witnessing heady growth, homegrown brands like Urban Yoga, Forever Yoga and Bhusattva and now Benetton, Lovable, Athethlica are also witnessing high sales. “Most of the apparel we have is made of cotton, which makes it easy to stretch. We also have a yoga-on-the-go category, where people can wear yoga dresses even while they are not exercising. The active wear has immensely contributed to 30% growth already ,” said Ashok Singh GM Marketing at Lovable Lingerie Ltd.
E-commerce players who have made active wear as a separate category are seeing between 20% and 70% growth in the segment. Amazon India, which has set up a dedicated active wear store, has collaborated with global and Indian brands selling active wear. Yoga wear is now among the top three categories within active wear itself, especially among women,” said Arun Sirdeshmukh, head, Amazon Fashion.
Market Research firm Euromonitor said the active wear segment is poised to grow at a CAGR of 17.1%. In 2015-16, the category grew by 22%, beating the global growth of 7%.
And it is not just individuals who purchase them. With bulk orders, B2B players also see a spike in demand for Yoga apparel and accessories closer to Yoga day. “We have seen a 2X growth in demand of Yoga accessories in June due to the International Yoga Day. Some of the popular products are yoga mats, yoga pants, yoga ropes, yoga straps and yoga balls,” said Sumit Bedi, VP (marketing), India mart.
The active wear segment in India is estimated at 5 billion $ in India growing at 12-15 percent, year-on-year. By 2020, it is expected to grow further with sales expected to reach
$8 billion $.
Wearing activewear better for health than everyday clothes
The scope of active wear is very high. Indian sportswear market is growing. So many other sports apart from Cricket have picked up. Indians now value fitness. Gyms are opening up, Cycling is trending, overall fitness is the buzzword and this is going to increase in the near future
It turns out mooching around in activewear may be more beneficial for a woman’s health than staying in everyday clothes.
A recent study concluded that the simple act of donning a pair of Lycra leggings will greatly increase a woman’s likelihood of exercising.
A research project examined trends in the female activewear market and found women who put on exercise gear – regardless of whether or not they plan to exercise or are involved in sport – are more encouraged to do beneficial physical activity.
Bukkum Active wear was launched by a Ludhiana based company in 2013. The unique feature of Bukkum active wear collection is that it is high on lycra, it has antimicrobial properties and it is anti stink. It fits good fits with designs to be worn not only during fitness regime but throughout the day.
Comfort and Style are the main attraction and strength of an active wear brand.
“Urban Indian women want to make healthier lifestyle choices. Sometimes the first step is actually associating with it, wearing something that makes you feel healthier,” says Richa Pania of Ometx.
The activewear industry is worth $270 billion worldwide, and is predicted to grow by more than 20 per cent between 2015 and 2020.
The study found those producing and selling the garments will need to re-examine the way they sell exercise clothes and adapt to an increasingly online market, as women are more likely to buy activewear from shops specifically targeted at females such as Lingerie outlets, women wear boutiques etc. rather than traditional sporting good stores.
It also showed women are increasingly pressured to find informal ways to exercise, opting for walking as the most popular activity.
For the Activewear Market, There’s No Way But Up
A range of retailers, from Mumbai to Guwahati and Delhi to Trivandrum are fast catching this trend into the fast-expanding fashion-meets-fitness sweet spot.
Wearing gym clothes beyond the gym has never looked more appropriate. Indeed, it’s difficult not to notice the rise of the post-workout look. Yoga pants are no longer restricted to yoga class; instead, they’re worn with a fancy full vest for lunch meeting with friends or a visit to Malls. Sporty moisture-wicking zip-up jackets are layered between Tees and pull overs.
In the 1980s, the aerobics craze spurred people to sport sweatbands, bodysuits and legwarmers outside of class. But this time around, the rise of the post-workout look reflects a more fundamental shift. “This is not a fashion trend, it’s a lifestyle trend,” said, Parveen Sharma of Benetton “The difference here is that there’s functionality mixed with fashion, not just solely fashion.”
With people taking to active lifestyle to remain fit, active wear segment in India is on a growth track.
Big sports brands like Adidas, Puma, Nike and Reebok have taken note of this change and turned to be sports lifestyle brands in India. While the segment’s focus has been more on men’s category, the women’s category is seeing rapid growth. With increasing brand play, many Indian labels are making inroads into this lucrative market. The women’s active wear segment is estimated at 1.5-2 billion dollars (Rs 8,840 to 11,787 crores) in India growing at 12-15 percent, year-on-year.
“Over the past two-three years, the growth of athletic/activewear apparel companies has consistently outpaced the growth of traditional apparel companies,” and there are lots of space for new entrants in the market” a opinion seconded by Mr. Sanjay Dawar MD of Bodycare who have launched their Active wear range since 2013.
Lululemon, established in 1998, was the first to see and seize the opportunity in activewear in a major way. Founded in Vancouver, Canada, by longtime surfer-turned-yogi Chip Wilson, the company went public in 2007, raising $327.6 million. From 2008 to 2013, sales increased by more than $1 billion, hitting $1.4 billion in the 2012 fiscal year. Gross profit has also continued to climb to $762.8 million in 2012, up from $569.4 million in 2011 and $179 million in 2009. And despite a slew of bad press resulting from the recall of a version of its popular Luon yoga pants, which consumers complained were too see-through,
Lululemon was far from the only company to target the activewear category. Sweaty Betty, the UK’s first fashionable take on fitness gear, was also launched in 1998, as was Athleta (which was acquired by Gap Inc.in 2008).
Pretty Secret has been in Active wear since 2016. Though their forte is sports bra but they have launched a range of Gym Tees, tanks and bottom in their new AirTEX range PSActive range uses AirTEX fabric technology which, is a light, cool, breathable and moisture wicking fabric. Engineered to dry quickly – As you sweat, the moisture moves to the outer layer of the fabric where it evaporates faster than normal fabric, thus allowing air to circulate closer to your skin. AirTex allows lightweight breathability and resists wrinkles for easy care.
In 1999, a group of former Nike executives launched women’s activewear company Lucy (which was acquired by VF Corporation in 2007).
And in 2004, Adidas kicked off its sportswear collaboration with Stella McCartney, which, ten years later, has grown into a full-fledged brand available at 790 points of sale, worldwide, with a product range aimed at surfers, runners and, yes, practitioners of yoga. It was also in 2004 that global sportswear giant Nike increased its focus on the women’s market with the launch its first female-targeted catalogue.
In terms of styles muscle tees are currently some of the most marketable pattern styles in activewear. They are breathable, feel free & yet you can show-off your sports bra. Gone are the days, when flared pants were worn during work-out sessions , Now women engage themselves in so many more activities like Zumba, Spinning, Cross-fit are want to be fashionable at gyms. In terms of colours/prints they work a lot with geometric & abstract prints and colours which are bold & irresistable.
As more and more consumers accept activewear as a lifestyle product it will continue to keep growing,” said Rohan Bhatia MD Athlexica who expects the women’s activewear market to keep up a similar pace for the next 2 to 3 years.
Women want to look good am-pm. They are more health conscience in today’s times and are willing to experiment. Apart from designing active wear styles, Pretty Secret eventually will start introducing work-out accessories like work-out gloves, bottles, towels etc.
Today ecommerce is trending, middles-class are willing to spend not only on travel but on fashionable brands. They are huge followers of social media & aspire to follow a role model for themselves. With the no of gyms & centres opening all over India including marathons there is tremendous scope for active wear.
“Over the past two-three years, the growth of athletic apparels has consistently outpaced the growth of traditional apparels,” said Ashok Singh of Lovable which has been witnessing a huge demand for their Active wear range.
The shift to Active wear is also due to the availability of better athletic fabrics thanks to advances in technology, the “ever-increasing fashion component” found in activewear, fantastic brand focus and, last but not least, the fact that people are exercising more.
In today’s scenario where market is so aggressive, envision type print will not work as consumer demands & wants are changing like anything. Customers wants new prints, fabric & styles on regular intervals.
Quality of their fabric is amazing & skin friendly, they use comfortable style micro fabric, dry fit fabric, cotton & spandex fabric which makes body much more comfortable during workouts etc .
Some of the world’s largest fast-fashion companies are also moving into activewear. Earlier this month, H&M launched H&M Sport, designed with input from the Swedish Olympic team and conceived to be a real competitor to brands like Lululemon. Uniqlo, too, has stepped up its presence in activewear, hiring tennis player Novak Djokovic in 2012 as a spokesperson for its performance wear line.
The trend of Active wear is definately here to stay and from the look of it the trend is growing stronger with every passing season and we see no reason of this going down any where sooner. So it is time to make Hay while the sun shines.
Bukkum
Bukkum is a company which represents fashionable brand for activewear in the market. Their aim is to inspire, pamper you and provide you the energy and self-confidence you need – because the rest is up to you.
Bukkum started dealing with active wear in 2013, the growing trend of fitness and sports in India. They have Women Athleisure wear targeted on women and girls from 16-45yrs.
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Achieving right fit for Comfort is the foremost challenge in designing. The product should have optimum stretch and the seams should have high strength.
Since fashion brands are all about looks, the active wear is all about comfort hence their distribution network has a unique selling proposition to place the active wear product.
In market comparison, they are lower than the international brands and higher than the Indian brands.
They are able to differentiate themselves from their active wear competitors by using original lycra, giving antimicrobial treatments, using best fabrics, right fits. As customer today values and understands quality.
Life can move fast and furious. Nobody has the time to run home to change outfits three times a day. So, why not wear clothing that can handle your pace?
From a morning sweat session to the office and then out for dinner, wear Bukkum for high comfort, wrinkle-resistant, breathable, anti-stink that keeps you stylish.
CRUSOE
CRUSOE, a leading premium inner wear brand has recently launched its Women version CrusoeW. The modern Indian Women is getting adventurous day by day and actively participating in outdoor activities like Marathons, Trekking and the likewise.
They are more inclined in improving their fitness by working out in Gyms, doing yoga, etc. They have also started travelling in women groups or mixed like – minded groups . Crusoe as to celebrate the modern women’s adventurous spirit has launched its range of active wear for Women. In the first phase the brand launched Active wear, lounge wear, sleepwear and leggings for Women and is lined-up to launch a Lingerie range very soon.
In the current scenario all the unorganised market is becoming organised, especially in the Women’s inner wear and active wear segment. Crusoe plans to have its mark in this segment as it had in the Men’s .
Styles launched under CrusoeW are Active Bra, Hot Shorts, Camisole, Plain Shorts, Round Neck / V-Neck T-shirts, Checked shorts, Capri, Tracks and Leggins. Crusoe also launched awesome, cute and funky MTV Range leisure and active wears.
All products are made from Premium Combed Cotton rich soft fabric and Modern fit with Label free for better Non-itch Comfort. As like its Men’s range, the brand launched its Women’s products with extra stylish and modern designs available in more vibrant contrasting colours and sizes (S-XXL) at reasonable price. The brand strongly believes that all these new styles will bring a change in the market and people minds .
Bodycare Creation
Bodycare Creation started active wear products in year 2013. As market in active wear is growing year on year because of youth is getting more focus & attractive towards fitness & fashion.
In today’s scenario, youths are more fitness freak & adapting new trends of clothing.
First & foremost challenge of designing for activewear market is products & competition stretch. Aggressive demand pattern from consumers end. Changing market trends is another challenge
They have attractive prints & styles across our product line with great colour combination.
Narrow bottom lower,Jogger’s, Neon colors, more stylish prints &pattern, dry fit fabric in t shirts &lowers are some of the most marketable style in activewear.
Main Attraction & strength of an activewear brand is their fabric & fashion pattern one is following.
When any brand has different patterns & styles then it makes there distribution more challenging as being a brand all patterns must be placed in market.
Bodycare’s main differentiation is their fabric quality which make them stand exceptionally well as compare to our competitor.
Their activewear range includes ladies & gents lowers, ladies & gents t-shirts, ladies capri, gents bermuda & shorts, kids t-shirts & shorts. Their target audiences are of age between 14 years &above.
They have all major colours and size starts from Small to XXL. Their price range starts from Rs 349/- to Rs999/- They buy prints on the basis of seasonal trend in order to be more effective & efficient.
Their price point is comparable to mid upper & upper range as thier brand positioning.
Pretty Secrets
Pretty Secrets launched active wear in 2016. They initiated a small range with included basic tees, tanks & bottoms. Sports bras has always been our biggest strength. On an average they introduce 10-12 each season in various design & print. They have seen tremendous growth in other sub-cats like lingerie & nightwear, hence they decided to introduce AIR-TEX which is their active wear. Women today, are more inclined to being fit & our conscious of they dress to the gym. Their AIR-tex range fits the bill, because it a superior quality fabric which absorbs sweat immediately plus in addition is extremely fashionable & trendy.
Their styles range from sports bras-tanks-scoop neck tees-muscle tanks-cropped & full length legging. Their target audience hasn’t changed , they are still catering to women within the age-group 24-35.
They use geo-pop prints and colors to make activewear fun yet functional. They send their print designs in PDF format to their vendors.
Comfort & function are primarily the focus, but being trendy & creating a niche is equally important.
The biggest attraction today apart from durability, price sensitivity is style. Strength lies in the fabric quality & styling. If your product is attractive, durable & is priced reasonably, it is not difficult to distribute it. The channel partners love the quality of their product. The strength has to be quality to finishing of the product.
Their active wear is priced pretty reasonably, their aim is to target middle class and upper middle class and also tap regions where people have unavailability of such products. PSActive starts from INR 799 and goes up to INR 1799. The pricing was marked keeping the affordability in mind.
They are different when it comes to their prints. Very few brands have a set which comprises of a printed sports bra, a muscle tee & legging. They are offering their customers to be their own stylist and make their own ideal everyday active wear line. They currently have over 40 styles.
Floret
Floret activewear hit the market in the summer of 2016. Research and development of course had started in early 2015. The reason they introduced this category is because they realised the shifting trend in the market with the change in people’s lifestyles. This is not surprising since they are comfortable as well as stylish and can be teamed with anything at all. I mean look around you, you see Yoga pants everywhere!
Floret’s activewear catalogue boasts a variety of workout oriented as well as leisure oriented garments, made from fabrics that have been handpicked for this particular purpose. The range consists of Workout pants, Yoga Pants, Jogger pants, Casual Pajamas, Capris of a variety of fits, Shorts as well as T-shirts. Their target audience is the young modern Indian woman who desires both style and comfort.
Most of the Activewear is available in 6-9 colors from S to 3XL. The starting range of the collection is Rs. 319 to Rs. 899.
Since Floret caters to customers pan India the biggest challenge faced by them while launching this category was finalising sizing for each fit. It has mostly been a smooth ride since then.
Most of their prints are designed inhouse for their activewear collection, after studying the season’s forecast and researching international trends.
In a garment like Activewear, functionality and style go hand in hand. Since they design their own prints it works to their advantage. Each garment is developed keeping the functionality in mind, and each print is designed keeping the garment in mind.
It is during the design process that the prints are developed and even before making the garment or the print, their team makes 3Ds of this and the styles are short listed. They then go onto making patterns and prototypes for testing and sampling. Only after this process is a garment approved to go into production.
Their range of Activewear has just the right mix of basic and trendy products. After much weeding and deliberation during the sampling stage they finalise a range that is unique and will keep their customers coming back.The styles are patterned to suit different activities, the fabric has high wicking properties, antibacterial wash, and high stretchability.
Currently the most loved style seems to be the Narrow Slim fit along with Yoga Pants. Colors like Navy and Black always do well, however this season will also be favourable towards a very dark shade of Jade.
As an Activewear brand one needs to be on the top of their game. One needs to be aware of the changing requirements of the customer, the International trends that may trickle down to activewear as well as technological advancements in the garment industry. The only way to do this is by keeping your eyes and ears open. The more successfully you’re able to amalgamate the two, the higher the acceptability.
Floret’s Activewear is trendy enough to not be boring and for people to want to show it off. The activewear market is only going to grow. Micro trends like Liesurewear and Athliesurewear only support this theory.
SWEE ATHLETICA
Omtex have been into sports and fitness fraternity since 48 years having many exclusive ranges in apparels. With the evolution in the fashion industry activewear and people getting more fitness conscious they discovered that this is the right opportunity we can offer to our customers.
Omtex has launched Activewear with a collection of Tshirts ,Track pants currently and would explore more in categories under “Omtex fitness”
Price range starts from 750 to 1000 and have sizes from Small to XXL and are available in various acceptable colors and solid and sublimation patterns
Customer Acceptance and quality maintenance is the major challenges of designing for the activewear market
Omtex creates their own designs for the products.
At Omtex they always strive for customer satisfaction and therefore they print and design their products considering the customer likes and dislikes but also always focus on the functionality of the product.
New Range of Omtex Active wear series is made from the latest JALDI DRI technology. It wicks sweat away from the skin for dryness. Enhances the regulation of body temperatures
Solid designs and sublimation prints are more preferable in the current market and the quality is a significant factor. Choice of colours always variants according to individuals. Most Preferable are Black and Blue.
Quality and Designs are two major attractions and functionality like Sweat absorbant, durable material, comfortablity and flexibility are too reckoned.
They always focus on the quality not on the price point which always keeps their brand value high and pricing affordable.
Omtex Fitness and its goodwill in the market have always kept the brand unique for it customers and our technology makes us stand apart from other brands.
With people getting more and more conscious about their health and fitness cothing plays a important role and that makes the future of activewear market strong enough to maintain a vital share in future.
Athlexica
Athlexica started dealing in active wear about a year ago, because they identified a market space for workout clothing that is fashionable but also functional. People are bored of the regular sports brands out there.
Between 2015 and 2016, sportswear in metro and tier 2 & 3 cities grew close to 80 percent. There has been a noticeable shift in Indians being more aware of their fitness and health. The active wear market is still pretty young with a boom right on the horizon.
Athlexica prioritizes quality and style. The quality of thier products are without a doubt the best in India. W aim to take our brand beyond just an activewear brand and build a community focusing on health and fitness.
It is an upper/premium brand.
Finding high quality fabric that performs is a big challenge. Most Indian fabric companies don’t make the quality of fabric that they need hence they import their fabrics which leads to increase in production cost. Keeping up with fashion trends is also an obvious challenge.
They always keep function in mind during their designing process. Functionality of their gear takes utmost priority.
All their activewear gear is designed to be sweat-wicking and anti-odour. They use four-way stretch fabrics that are super breathable and don’t bleed colour. Their gear is built with flat lock seams so as to minimize chafing and increase comfort.
The quality and functionality are the main strengths of an activewear brand. If gear doesn’t perform, then people just aren’t going to buy it no matter how good it looks.
Their range of products include yoga pants, tank tops and leggings for women. They are currently working on making tees for men.
Their colours are basic in plain and heather and in space dye patterns. Sizes available are from XS to XL
Prices – Leggings: Rs.1999-2350; Tank Tops: Rs.1699; Sports Bras: Rs.1299
