Athleisure and casuals face growing demand

Demand for athleisure and casual clothing is growing in India.

Athleisure is now well ingrained in people’s everyday wear. With more and more brands focusing on inclusive sizes, any-wear and all-day stylized comfort wear, this segment is poised to grow further. Athleisure as a category (apparel and accessories) has witnessed a steady growth in demand from customers including from metros as well as Tier II cities and beyond, with an increasing focus and enthusiasm for fitness particularly since the pandemic.

The growth of athleisure for women is faster than for men. Leading brands are betting big on women’s athleisure and getting a lot of colour and print elements incorporated in their assortment. Consumers are finding more comfort in casual wear and also mixing day-today pieces with formal clothing.

Casualization as a trend within apparel will continue to remain strong. There is a strong demand for casual wear, despite an increase in demand for wedding wear and festive clothing. The pandemic also took away the dominance of formal clothing as consumers swapped office shirts with causal T-shirts and joggers to stay at home for extended periods. Even prior to the pandemic, athleisure clothing such as leggings, tights, sweatpants, sneakers, hoodies, and jackets was established in popularity. Covid further accelerated the trend.