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.
Tracksmith / Tracksmith
Tracksmith
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.
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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.
New York Men’s Day debut: HOLD NYC goes alpine sexy in new collection
comfort glamour elevated for the lodge
Finding the perfect Apres ski look is a task that every mountain sports nut has figured out. The move from the mountain to the lodge takes you from extreme sport to casual relaxation and maybe a little luxury. While you will mostly find the skiers and snowboarders dropping off their gear and shedding the layers in place of their flannels, jackets, and technical function style, there is an opportunity for some elevation that HOLD NYC is looking to capitalize on in 2025. The HOLD NYC NYMD debut brings an element of crossover between functional luxury and the element of glamour for their first run at New York Men's Day.
Bringing glamour to the mountain
The mountain lodge may not be the first place you think of when you think of glamour. While the lodge is the place for the perfect Apres ski looks that scream comfort and relaxation, there is a bit of etiquette and thought that goes into it. Glamour is the same, and therefore, there is a connection between the two that is perfect for someone like Holden Akerley, designer of HOLD NYC, to find the pathway between the two. He does that at New York Men's Day with the use of casual elements built into more elevated styles. From suiting using shorts to skirts with fleece tops, there is something for everyone in this collection that is classified as genderless. You shouldn't expect anything less than bold excellence from a former designer for Ralph Lauren, and Holden delivered that at New York Fashion Week.
New York Men’s Day debut: Joseph McRae honors transformation through boldness
Finding the balance between subtlety and using your voice
New York Men's Day showed up in 2014 mainly because the belief was that men's fashion took a hard backseat to women's fashion during fashion week. While the big brand houses focused on the high fashion looks of the runway to inspire what women would be wearing off the runway, Agentry PR brought brands dedicated to doing the same for men in a now decade-old tradition. Brands of all levels, from newcomers to New York Men's Day veterans, appear yearly to inspire us guys to look our best. The Joseph McRae NYMD debut tells us a story to go beyond the boring and uninspired outfits and instead use our voice to tell a sartorial story.
Balancing boldness and subtlety
The bold use of silhouettes is the first thing that strikes someone walking into the showroom occupied by Joseph McRae in the afternoon segment of NYMD. While the colors are more muted greens and browns, which seem right on trend this season in fashion week, the shapes and lines of his designs are anything but muted. Large, puffy tops and long flowing bottoms create a loud voice contrasting the colors accompanying them. He celebrates the beauty of change. Just as the caterpillar is small, slow, and muted in color, and the butterfly is bright, airborne, and expansive, his collection showcases the marriage between the two. McRae makes a splash in the evening session of the annual show by encouraging us to embrace change and stand up to be seen, even if the world is telling us otherwise.
Valentine’s Day style tips: How men should dress for the perfect date night
Be the best-looking guy at the restaurant on 2/14
One of the biggest nights of the year (if you are lucky enough to be in a relationship) is Valentine's Day. There are so many of us who find ourselves single on the day everyone celebrates love, but for those of you who are cuffed up this season, your day is right around the corner.
Hopefully, this wasn't your reminder, but if it was, then you're welcome. If you did remember and you already have something planned, then you likely have been wondering what you want to wear for your big date. If you haven't, then here is another reminder: Your date likes you looking your best. Showing effort to make sure they know they are special is a great way to kick off the date night the right way.