Athleisure Wear Going Out Of Style?

[The_Shooter]

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But a tshirt or a crewneck knit just drapes better (for me). A plain navy tshirt or cashmere crewneck can still look smart provided it drapes well and is paired with nicer pants.

if you are younger, or you are fit, you can get away with a lot more in terms of casual attire.

the first problem is when those late 20’s early30 year olds start to get into their 40’s and try pulling off the same look, well, that doesn’t usually go well.

The second problem is when the look which works well on younger fit gentleman become too mainstream, and people who should not be attempting that look try to pull it off and it starts to look sloppy. Definitely what we see with athleisure wear (as well as the polo and khakis look as well, which is good for showing off man boobs but not good for looking nice)

 

[thatboyo]

Athleisure has been popular pre COVID and the brands that offer it have a wider selection now versus pre COVID

 

[The_Shooter]

Athleisure has been popular pre COVID and the brands that offer it have a wider selection now versus pre COVID

there were aspects of athleisure wear that were popular pre-Covid, sure.
And some elements of athleisure wear will survive into the future (the positive aspects, like more comfortable materials and such)

But the pandemic really pushed the fashion on many, and now fatigue has set in. And athleisure wear is seen as a sign of the pandemic, something most people want to get past.

while the pandemic gave athleisure wear a huge booster shot in the arm in heightening it’s popularity, it is also a big reason for its sudden downfall

 

[acconrad]

Lwhen the look which works well on younger fit gentleman become too mainstream, and people who should not be attempting that look try to pull it off and it starts to look sloppy.

exactly this. I was going to say this but didn’t know how it would come across. Can’t spell athleisure without the “athlete” part and to your point, more people think they can dress “like athletes” so to speak and the results similar to “objects in mirror are larger than they appear” and it’s not flattering.

conversely, I love my jpress shaggy dog but I never wear it out of the house anymore cause I look like Ralphy in his snow onesie in a a Christmas Story

 

[The_Shooter]

exactly this. I was going to say this but didn’t know how it would come across. Can’t spell athleisure without the “athlete” part and to your point, more people think they can dress “like athletes” so to speak and the results similar to “objects in mirror are larger than they appear” and it’s not flattering.

conversely, I love my jpress shaggy dog but I never wear it out of the house anymore cause I look like Ralphy in his snow onesie in a a Christmas Story

James Dean made jeans and a simple t-shirt look cool.

In reality, most men in jeans and a t-shirt don’t look cool. They look sloppy and uninspired.

if you’re The Rock, go for that look and pull it off. If you’re Joe the middle aged desk jockey, maybe go with something a little more flattering?

what people think they look like:

what most actually look like:

 

[JFWR]

I live much of the academic year amongst tens of thousands of gen-Z students. The most common wear, by and away, for these students is athleisure. Either athleisure or just straight up pajamas. The most common shoes? Flip flops and crocs.

So no, I don't think it is going out of style. If anything, it has overtaken every other look there is.

 

[The_Shooter]

I live much of the academic year amongst tens of thousands of gen-Z students. The most common wear, by and away, for these students is athleisure. Either athleisure or just straight up pajamas. The most common shoes? Flip flops and crocs.

So no, I don't think it is going out of style. If anything, it has overtaken every other look there is.

bring us back to 1993 and the same would be said for grunge?

the oversaturation of a certain trend usually leads to its demise. Some aspects will remain, but at some point these kids will want to look good.

unless america is simply beyond looking good? Sort of like how some portions of America believe that Olive Garden or even McDonald’s is good food. Some segments of society are beyond hope.

but I do believe there is a portion of Gen z who see millennials sitting around looking bad and not leaving the house and think “looking bad and staying home all day is not a good way to go through life”?

 

[JFWR]

bring us back to 1993 and the same would be said for grunge?

the oversaturation of a certain trend usually leads to its demise. Some aspects will remain, but at some point these kids will want to look good.

unless america is simply beyond looking good? Sort of like how some portions of America believe that Olive Garden or even McDonald’s is good food. Some segments of society are beyond hope.

but I do believe there is a portion of Gen z who see millennials sitting around looking bad and not leaving the house and think “looking bad and staying home all day is not a good way to go through life”?

I tend to think this area of the country is not especially focused on looking good. For instance, the guy at the Allen Edmonds store on La Salle in Chicago thinks it is a near impossibility that AE would even open up a store down here, despite the city having a population of 250,000, which is a fairly sizable metropolitan area.

I'd say that it is possible it is JUST a regional problem, but then I contrast this with NY. Most people weren't dressed to impress there, either. You saw a few people that were in better clothing, but the majority was not, especially amongst younger people. The girls, though, weren't wearing athleisure on dates at night, at least, though.

But no, I really don't think Gen-Z is going to offer us some tremendous hope for a revolution in clothing.

 

[The_Shooter]

I tend to think this area of the country is not especially focused on looking good. For instance, the guy at the Allen Edmonds store on La Salle in Chicago thinks it is a near impossibility that AE would even open up a store down here, despite the city having a population of 250,000, which is a fairly sizable metropolitan area.

I'd say that it is possible it is JUST a regional problem, but then I contrast this with NY. Most people weren't dressed to impress there, either. You saw a few people that were in better clothing, but the majority was not, especially amongst younger people. The girls, though, weren't wearing athleisure on dates at night, at least, though.

But no, I really don't think Gen-Z is going to offer us some tremendous hope for a revolution in clothing.

i do hold out hope, sort of like when business casual became a thing in cities in the early 2000’s.
but by around 2008-2010, people were making fun of most business casual attire. Khakis + Polo + Loafers = uniform of the mediocre
And then suits made a pretty nice comeback.

i just don’t think people want to look bad. Especially in regions where there is a sense of fashion. And as these college kids get older they will reach a point where they want to look good, not like they just rolled out of bed.

I’m sure some will still consider Olive Garden to be fine dining even as they get older, just as some will consider athleisure wear to be acceptable attire in public. But many will come to their senses.

FWIW: I am seeing a lot of people dressed better for evening in NYC. Sure there are some who are still dressing poorly, but that was true pre-Covid. But compared to last year, people are at least trying to look good.

 

[JFWR]

i do hold out hope, sort of like when business casual became a thing in cities in the early 2000’s.
but by around 2008-2010, people were making fun of most business casual attire. Khakis + Polo + Loafers = uniform of the mediocre
And then suits made a pretty nice comeback.

i just don’t think people want to look bad. Especially in regions where there is a sense of fashion. And as these college kids will reach a point where they want to look good, not like they just rolled out of bed.

FWIW: I am seeing a lot of people dressed better for evening in NYC. Sure there are some who are still dressing ooorly, but that was tru pre-Covid. But compared to last year, people are at least trying to look good.

I see the khaki + polo + loafer look a lot all over the place around here and, again, also even in NYC. Mostly here, though. But then again, I'd consider this one of the least stylish major metropolitan areas in the United States.

I'd say the better NYC looks are mostly on girls when they aren't just wearing bras. The guys were relatively unimpressive, and I include myself in that category, because honestly it was so hot over the last month at night + humid, that it was impossible to dress up without sweating through your clothes, especially if you take a subway and have to wait for more than 30 seconds.

 

[The_Shooter]

I see the khaki + polo + loafer look a lot all over the place around here and, again, also even in NYC. Mostly here, though. But then again, I'd consider this one of the least stylish major metropolitan areas in the United States.

I'd say the better NYC looks are mostly on girls when they aren't just wearing bras. The guys were relatively unimpressive, and I include myself in that category, because honestly it was so hot over the last month at night + humid, that it was impossible to dress up without sweating through your clothes, especially if you take a subway and have to wait for more than 30 seconds.

true, the khakis + polo + loafers look is common.
but at least those with any sense of style or self respect or aspirations to be better than mediocre in life avoid it at all costs.

 

[JFWR]

true, the khakis + polo + loafers look is common.
but at least those with any sense of style or self respect or aspirations to be better than mediocre in life avoid it at all costs.

Yes. Put on a damn jacket, gentlemen.

Though sadly, when they replace the loafers with other shoes, they tend to be crappy dress sneakers and low-level trash shoes like contemporary Cole Haans and Florsheims. I think it's reasonable to say the "generic derby that the brand calls an oxford" is just as bad as the no-name loafer.

 

[The_Shooter]

Yes. Put on a damn jacket, gentlemen.

Though sadly, when they replace the loafers with other shoes, they tend to be crappy dress sneakers and low-level trash shoes like contemporary Cole Haans and Florsheims. I think it's reasonable to say the "generic derby that the brand calls an oxford" is just as bad as the no-name loafer.

yeah, but at least it’s some effort

and really, a well kept pair of sneakers, as ungentlemanly as it seems, looks fine if paired with a sports coat. Not for me, but I don’t frown upon it like I do when I see some dude flaunting his man boobs “because he doesn’t have to dress well anymore.”

 

[nsgmd]

My understanding is Obama also had many of the same suits made each day as a sort of uniform. So you can still have a uniform but determine whether it's going to be athleisure or classic.
I do think Steve Jobs was very intentional in the brand of turtleneck he wore in addition to the shoes but I think objectively he looked sloppy and not very well put together. You can also see Jack Dorsey originally tried to dress sharply with blazers/oxfords and high-end belts like the well-known Hermes 'H' belt buckle. You can see him transition to Rick Owens as well as streetwear. I would imagine as money is accumulated wearing what would be otherwise considered cheap clothing is a way to show your high status. Look at photos of Sergey Brin at fundraisers wearing ugly looking crocs among attendees in suits. I think what we're mixing up here is the clothes themselves and the powerful people in the culture and their choice of clothing. With the rise of tech and an ability to accumulate resources without the traditional pathway which involved wearing a power suit and looking the part, society through its new power brokers have okayed wearing hoodies as the leader of an organization rather than a bespoke suit. I still think if you're running a multibillion dollar company wearing a cashmere hoody, you are still objectively dressed poorly but the vast majority of people in society will just blindly follow and idolize that poorly dressed individual.

 

[JFWR]

yeah, but at least it’s some effort

and really, a well kept pair of sneakers, as ungentlemanly as it seems, looks fine if paired with a sports coat. Not for me, but I don’t frown upon it like I do when I see some dude flaunting his man boobs “because he doesn’t have to dress well anymore.”

Depends. I am not a gigantic fan of the whole "let's wear middle school girl sneakers" look that some people around here likes. I think the all white, 500 dollar sneakers is the kind of thing you used to get picked on for wearing. Then you have people who think 1990s New Balances are amazingly stylish and I am flabbergasted.

I am not saying you can't pull off a sneaker-with-jacket look, but I'd much rather see someone in some sort of proper shoe or boot.