Why Is Your Favorite Brand Making Sportswear Now?
In 2026, fitness is cultural capital, and everybody is cashing in.
From a fashion perspective, the last few years have been a bit of a fever dream. Trends we thought were dead and buried have risen from the grave. Wedge sneakers and military jackets are back on everyone’s wishlist. Athleisure has become less of a 2010s buzzword and more of a holy grail of 2026 dressing.
When Lululemon and all of its high street variants first rose to mass popularity nearly two decades ago, many forecasters were quick to predict that leggings and sweat-wicking polyester were the future of women’s fashion. They were right, to a degree, but the last few years have truly been the ones to put that theory to the test. People are wearing Lululemon and Fabletics to brunch now — an unthinkable outfit choice in the peplum skirt and bandage dress era of the 2010s.
This sudden shift to activewear as all-day attire has been heavily influenced by society’s current obsession with fitness. There is nothing more chic than going to a pilates class, or at least looking like you just went to a pilates class. Erewhon smoothies, yoga mats and matching workout sets are the hallmarks of taste and class in this day and age, and when every influencer is telling the world that leggings and a sports bra are all you need to replicate that lifestyle, it’s only expected that brands follow suit to feed a brand new hunger from their biggest consumers.
You might have noticed brands that typically produce your everyday sartorial essentials have pivoted to sportswear recently. Everyone, from Old Navy to STAUD, is dropping neatly packaged sets, post-gym loungewear, and, in some cases, workout equipment. Whilst some have taken the collaborative route, à la NikeSKIMS or Wales Bonner’s extensive work with adidas, many have taken the matter into their own hands.
The lines between fashion and sportswear have become increasingly blurred over the years. Microtrends like blokecore and balletcore are the most obvious examples of this, but adidas, Nike, PUMA and more have quietly been putting out elevated sportswear and lifestyle hybrid designs that could outdo some luxury labels. It is more than just sneakers, but fashion-forward garments dropping in limited quantities and technically advanced sportswear in silhouettes you would expect to see on a runway.
In a way, it seems easier for sportswear brands to do fashion than the other way around. There are brands that live at the intersection of the two, like Adanola and an action a day. Others have added sportswear to their repertoire, living alongside on-trend styles and their signature fashions. NAMED COLLECTIVE recently launched its sportswear label, Nth ACTIVE, bringing its soft grunge aesthetic to the gym for the first time.
It isn’t just high-street labels making the switch to activewear either. The obsession with pilates and run clubs has reached the upper echelons, with brands like Balenciaga, Gucci, Jacquemus and Louis Vuitton all dabbling in the world of fitness. Branching out from simple workout sets and sweatbands, many have launched skiwear collections and other sport-specific designs, tapping into a different demographic.
The question is, do people really trust the average fashion brand for their sportswear? There’s a certain degree of loyalty when shopping for the clothes you’ll shed blood, sweat and tears in that perhaps doesn’t exist to the same extent with ordinary clothing. For many who work out or play sports regularly, they have a brand in mind that they trust wholeheartedly for all their needs, whether it be Under Armour, Fabletics or Nike. How likely are they to switch to an Old Navy or NAMED COLLECTIVE, even for something as simple as a pair of shorts?
In the same breath, those die-hard athletes probably aren’t the target audience these brands had in mind when deciding to expand into sportswear. For a lot of people, activewear is just another look. Another trend to get on top of before it fizzles out in a few years. Why spend hundreds on the most advanced technology from Under Armour when your favorite brand is selling cuter leggings, bras and jackets for a fraction of the price?
Brands are churning out activewear faster than we can imagine, and though the Nikes and adidas’ of the world are still on top of the pyramid, it could easily be H&M and Weekday up there in a few years. It looks like sportswear is the future of fashion right now, and the high street is just starting to catch up.
