健身房外的運動服飾熱潮 | Yoga Poseurs: Athletic Apparel Moves Out of the Gym to Every Day

巨石強森在電影「玩命關頭6 (fast and furious 6)」中的運動裝扮，帶領全世界掀起了一股運動服飾穿著熱潮

健身房外興起的運動服飾熱潮

如果只要買件衣服就能讓自己顯得熱愛運動，幹嗎還真的去健身呢？

在美國，多數體育項目的參與率正在下降，同時美國運動服飾零售市場的增長率卻大幅上升。

服飾業因此出現了一個被稱為“運動休閑”(athleisure)的類別。越來越多的美國人開始在會議室穿著運動鞋，有些人還穿著瑜伽褲去吃早午餐，“運動休閑”服飾因此成為一個業已陷入疲軟的市場中的亮點。

根據巴克萊(Barclays)的分析師估計，到2020年，美國運動服飾市場將增長近50%，市值將超過1,000億美元。這主要是受到那些穿著彈力十足的T恤和緊身褲卻從來沒去過健身房的消費者推動。

舉例來說，瑜伽裝備的需求增長速度正在超過該項運動本身的增長速度。體育與健康行業協會(Sports & Fitness Industry Association)的數據顯示，2013年瑜伽的參與率上升了4.5%。

體育商品行業追蹤機構SportsOneSource的分析師鮑威爾(Matt Powell)稱，與此同時，瑜伽服飾的銷售額卻大幅增長了45%。

Yoga Mandali的老板斯科爾(Karen Score)表示，大家都穿著瑜伽褲，甚至那些不練瑜伽的人也在穿。Yoga Mandali是紐約薩拉托加斯普林斯一家獨立的瑜伽商店。

這一潮流不僅限于瑜伽。本月早些時候，一個傳統的戶外露營零售商展銷會的組織者為“千禧一代”舉辦了一個所謂都市裝的新展覽，這些并不真正打算遠足的千禧一代在展覽上穿著靴子和法蘭絨衣服示人。

零售商為男士們推出了新式的慢跑長褲，這種運動式長褲在腳踝處有彈性褲腳。SportsOneSource的鮑威爾表示，在本周拉斯維加斯服裝展會上，這一直是討論的主題。

Sports & Fitness Industry Association對六大門類運動的參與率進行了追蹤。過去五年中，單項、球類和團體運動的參與率有所下降，戶外運動、水中運動和健身的參與率持平。

據巴克萊(Barclays)分析師表示，美國健身服的市場規模平均每年增長5%，從大約540億美元增長至680億美元。

高端市場甚至也注意到了這些變化。在線奢侈服飾零售商Net-a-Porter 7月份推出了最新運動系列Net-a-Sporter。

奢侈品牌迪奧(Christian Dior)在秋季成品系列中推出了運動款式的單鞋。亮面橡膠尖頭鞋面配以帶有跑鞋元素的橡膠鞋底。高跟款可在迪奧門店預定，起價為1,450美元。

新聞來源: 華爾街日報

巨石強森在電影「玩命關頭6 (fast and furious 6)」中的運動裝扮，帶領全世界掀起了一股運動服飾穿著熱潮

---

Yoga Poseurs: Athletic Apparel Moves Out of the Gym to Every Day

Why work out when you can just buy the clothes and look like you did? 

The rate of growth in the U.S. retail athletic apparel market is surging, even as Americans' rate of participating in most sports is in decline. 

The result is a phenomenon the apparel industry calls 'athleisure'--a bright spot in a sluggish business thanks to Americans who are increasingly donning sneakers in the boardroom and yoga pants at brunch. Analysts at Barclays estimate the U.S. athletic apparel market will increase by nearly 50% to more than $100 billion at retail by 2020, driven in large part by consumers snapping up stretchy tees and leggings that will never see the fluorescent lights of a gym. 

Demand for yoga gear, for example, is outpacing growth of the sport itself. Yoga participation grew 4.5% in 2013, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Meanwhile, sales of yoga apparel were up 45%, according to Matt Powell, an analyst for SportsOneSource, a sporting-goods industry tracker. 

'Everyone is wearing yoga pants, even people who aren't doing it,' said Karen Score, the owner of Yoga Mandali, an independent yoga store in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 

Ms. Score, who also runs an adjoining yoga studio, is drawing up brochures for fall classes with the tag line: 'Do you wear yoga pants? Why not try yoga?' 

Lauren Wheeler-Woodburn estimates that she owns at least 25 pairs of yoga pants. As a graduate student at the University of Southern California and social-media strategist, she says she wears them mostly every day, for class or to work, or just sitting at home lounging. 

'I sound like the yoga pants version of a crazy cat lady,' said Ms. Wheeler-Woodburn, who prefers Lululemon but dons other brands too. 

The 25-year-old isn't a diligent yogi, though she practices at home sometimes. For her, the clothing isn't an athletic utility but a wardrobe staple. Yoga pants, she said, are easy to clean, don't need to be ironed and, at $90 a pop at Lululemon, are cheaper and more versatile than even her favorite jeans, for which she pays upward of $200 a pair at Nordstrom. 

The trend isn't limited to yoga. Organizers of a trade show for traditional outdoor and camping retailers earlier this month debuted a new exhibit devoted to so-called urban wear for 'millennials' who wear their boots and flannels with no intention of actually hiking. 

For men, retailers are rolling out new versions of jogger pants--sweatpant-like trousers with elastic cuffs at the ankles. Mr. Powell, of SportsOneSource, said they have been a main topic of discussion at apparel trade shows in Las Vegas this week. 

Tracksmith, an online apparel boutique, made its debut in July offering preppy, $90 men's running shorts. Not long afterward, a parody site called Running Team JVA mocked Tracksmith's marketing. 'Running is free. But it shouldn't be,' the site reads. 

Matt Taylor, a co-founder of Tracksmith, which sold out its first shipment of inventory, said he thought the site was 'pretty clever.' 

Betabrand, a San Francisco-based apparel startup that crowdsources ideas for items and crowdfunds the production, said the debut of its chino-styled dress pant yoga pants earlier this year was so successful the company has put ideas for other projects on hold to focus on the athletic apparel business, particularly for women. 

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association tracks participation rates across six categories. Over the past five years, participation in individual, racket and team sports fell, and was flat for outdoor, water and fitness sports. Meanwhile, the size of the U.S. market for workout clothes grew by 5% a year on average, from roughly $54 billion to $68 billion, according to analysts at Barclays. 

Athletic apparel manufacturers and retailers are reaping the benefits. Under Armour Inc., once known largely for its compression gear worn by football players, expects its annual revenue to surge 29% this year to $2.91 billion, fueled by its expansion into women's wear, youth apparel and footwear. 

Consumers 'have and will continue to want versatility, to look great everywhere, in the gym, on the street, in class,' said Henry Stafford, president of Under Armour North America. 

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., reeling from downturns in both the golf and hunting categories, said this week it is looking to grow its other businesses, and has already begun allocating more store space to sports apparel, particularly for women and children in time for back-to-school shopping. Bon-Ton Stores Inc. in May said it would 'outsize the active athleisure category across all zones.' Kohl's Corp. will begin selling flashy sweatpants by Juicy Couture in the fall as a means 'to capture more of the athleisure market.' 

In March, Andy Mooney, chief executive of surf and snowboard apparel maker Quiksilver Inc., said the company was de-emphasizing the core adventure-sports community and 'going back to what we did when we first started, which is, we were both functional and fashionable at the same time.' 

The changes are even being noted in high-end markets. Online luxury apparel retailer Net-a-Porter in July unveiled a channel devoted exclusively to high-fashion athletic looks, named Net-a-Sporter. 

Luxury brand Christian Dior unveiled some sneaker-inspired pumps for its fall ready-to-wear line. A glazed rubber pointy-toed upper is paired with a rubber sole inspired by running shoes. The heels are available for preorder in Dior stores starting at $1,450. 

The athletic apparel market isn't without its challenges. Lululemon Athletica Inc., which has been wrestling for a year-and-a-half with supply chain and quality issues, cut its outlook for the year as it works to clear excess inventory. 

Alexandra Medina, of Costa Mesa, Calif., likes to wear yoga pants around town, which is standard fare in her community. She said she likes to work out, but can't always find the time in days that are consumed with running her flooring company and chasing her 19-month-old daughter. Wearing the pants can bring a twinge of guilt. 

'When you put on your workout apparel,' she said, 'you think, 'Huh, maybe I should think about working out today.' ' 

Source: The Wall Street Journal