Streetwear and athletic clothing have always been separate in menswear. The clothes you wear on the street are meant for the elements and looking your best. The clothing you wear in the gym is meant to allow you maximum movement while also keeping you cool and dry by absorbing your sweat. Now the world has changed, and the casualization of men on the street and the advancement of technology have resulted in a new kind of clothing: athleisure. But it isn’t just gym clothes made cool; there is much more than meets the eye.
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What is athleisure?
Activewear is clothing specifically meant to work in the gym and help you create the best version of yourself. Streetwear is meant to give you the ultimate casual looks to keep you stylish. Loungewear is designed for the ultimate comfort to wear around the house. Athleisure was developed to find the perfect balance between the three. Stylish enough for the street. Tough enough for the gym. And comfortable enough for the couch. If you want the most efficient clothing in the world, one of the following brands will offer the best there is.
There aren’t a lot of brands that can boast comfort, style, and best sellers. Public Rec finds the balance perfectly well with a collection of men’s clothing that looks just as good in the office as they do on the couch. If you are in the market for a new pant, the All Day Every Day Pant is the perfect choice.
Pickleball is the newest sensation sweeping the nation. While it may resemble tennis, the clothing also has an upscale feel similar to that worn by the best of the best on the courts. Moveable and stylish, don’t miss out on some of the most comfortable pieces that make both the grocery store and the courts more comfortable.
Todd Snyder, the man, has been obsessed with athleisure since before the term existed. He collected vintage Champion gear starting back in the 1990s during his days at Ralph Lauren. He brought that mid-century athletic wear to J.Crew during his time as Men’s Creative Director. Then he struck a deal with Champion when he launched his eponymous brand to create a signature line of elevated athletic wear that works equally well with a suit as on the field. Todd Snyder, the brand, has expanded their offerings of fashionable athletic gear beyond just the Champion collab since then.
You’ve probably heard that Champion invented the hoodie (though Russel challenges that claim). So you could argue that they invented athleisure since the entire movement kind of revolves around hoodies. Regardless, they have been making high-quality, no-frills athletic wear for a century. The 1960s-style athletic gear that has been intermingled with workwear and formalwear for over a decade is pretty much all based on Champion. The Champion reverse weave hoodie is arguably the best hoodie in the world and certainly the best value.
Way before athleisure was a thing, Lululemon was already making a name in the sportswear scene. The Canada-based brand provides high-quality yoga pants and athleisure wear that you can pull off on a daily basis. Although they are known first for their women’s wear, their men’s wear is packed with essentials like joggers and running jackets that are comfortable and sleek. Each garment is perfect for whatever task you have to do, wherever you are.
One of the more consistent purveyors of athleisure out there is Reigning Champ. In fact, this Canadian brand defies trends and continues to make some of the best gym and lifestyle gear around. We love the classic crew-neck sweaters and pullover hoodies, both made with quality fabrics in neutral, easy-to-style colors.
If you’re more concerned with use than style, Ten Thousand may be the brand for you. This company has been churning out quality products for a couple of years now, and it puts a tight focus on function. That’s not to say the pieces don’t look good — they do! — but they’re built with performance in mind. We especially like their trio of activewear shorts, which range from the lightweight Session to the ultra-durable Foundation.
What do you get when a group of very serious runners with very respectable styles create the best running apparel brand they can? You get Tracksmith, the Boston-based high-end athletics brand. They can certainly be categorized as athleisure because their gear has a vintage sportswear vibe that fits in perfectly with preppy or streetwear style. However, Tracksmith is designed for serious running first and foremost.
While they may have started out with a mission of making the best yoga workout clothes around, they have definitely mastered all aspects of activewear. Inspiring mindful movement is at their core, and it helps when you have high-quality clothes allowing you to move to your capabilities, without restrictions, and Alo Yoga allows you to do just that. But it is not just the function that makes this brand great, it’s their form as well, with silhouettes of all shapes, whether that’s trim and form-fitting or loose and ultra comfy, they have it all.
Look good and feel comfortable doing it, that’s the name of the game. Whether you’re actually playing a game or going to work out or not, athleisure is a fashion trend everyone can get into. They’re designed just as much for 18 holes with the guys as for binge-watching on the couch. Better yet, if you choose the right products you can even style some of their pieces with high-end brands, merging high fashion and comfort together. All in all the brands on this list are doing their best and will certainly help you update your athletic wardrobe.
The ‘Dad Reset’ is on the horizon: Megan Collins leads the charge
Men are taking ownership over what they wear and the founder of Style Girlfriend is here to help
One of the most frustrating moments in any man's style journey is when your wardrobe starts to feel stale. No matter what you do, you feel like everything you put on is old, boring, or tired. You try to switch it up. You pair it differently. It just lost its luster. The truth is, it happens to all of us. But the people who struggle with it the most are middle-aged men. With a specific focus on dads. Middle-aged men are too young to resign themselves to not caring about their look anymore. They are too old to dive into the trends with the changing of the fashion winds. So many of them throw in the towel. Add to that overwhelming feeling being a busy father, and there is just no way to spend the time and energy on rebuilding a wardrobe. That is where Megan Collins comes in. Her business, Style Girlfriend, takes men and restores their confidence from the ground up with new, elevated, and evolved stylistic choices.
When you have one outfit you love, you wear it. When you wear it, you notice how much better you feel. Then, you want another outfit that gives you that same feeling. That's how confidence builds. Not all at once, but one good decision at a time. - Megan Collins, Founder, Style Girlfriend
Shinola’s new blacked-out Mackinac Night Race revives a rare sailing complication
The Detroit brand's new limited edition puts a one-of-a-kind forged carbon dial on a yacht timer — the countdown built for sailboat starts.
Shinola has made watches about Detroit, about the Apollo program, and about a lake monster. Its newest one is about a sailboat race, and damn, is it good-looking.
The Detroit-based brand is launching the Mackinac Night Race, a limited edition built around the yacht timer — the countdown complication used to time the start of a sailing race, aka one of watchmaking's more specialized tricks. The name nods to the Great Lakes maritime history the watch draws on (so not technically an official race tie-in).
TAFT Longhorn collection gives you a stylish look with a little western flare
One of the most iconic ways a man can stand out is to make a statement with his style. Now, this isn't as easy as it sounds. Most of the time, if a man doesn't know what he is doing when he goes to make a statement, he goes overboard. Colors, patterns, textures, they can all work together or battle each other out for attention and cause problems. For instance, wearing a bright color combined with a crazy pattern can make you look more like an optical illusion than a stylish man. You look like you are cosplaying The Joker instead of methodically piecing together pieces that are working together to give an outfit depth. One of the tricks I have always loved to incorporate with my looks is a statement shoe. A typical everyday outfit can be elevated easily with a shoe standing out with color or pattern. One of my favorite brands to go to when I want to do that is TAFT. They are the best in the game for a statement shoe, and their new edit is a way to capitalize on that idea.
