Sportswear 2024 Update: Lift Up Performance Collection with Inflow’s Best Textile Recommendations.

Informational 7m read

Sportswear 2024 Update: Lift Up Performance Collection with Inflow’s Best Textile Recommendations.

owver
Mai Nguyen Jul 19, 2024

 

The coming year poses many challenges for the sports industry. Surpassing many phases, sports have gone beyond traditional boundaries, integrating comfort and functionality into fashion's forefront. Athleisure, blending athletic-inspired clothing with everyday wear, emerges as a dominant trend for those seeking effortless style and comfort.

The current pressing concern is: Can sportswear and activewear evolve into a fashion aesthetic? Let’s see the intersection between huge luxury fashion brands and athlete brands in 2024. What pivotal factors drive innovation in this industry?

Haute Athleisure: Quiet Outdoor is a new state of sportswear. 

This trend is inspired by the "quiet luxury" movement and the idea of optimizing essentials through innovation and material engineering. Its aesthetic strives to combine functionality and stylish aesthetics. Its approach to sporting gear is delicate and simple, guided by luxury's minimal rules. The focus is on clean designs, understated colors, minimalist details, and high-quality technical materials. In essence, "Quiet Outdoor" embodies casual elegance.

When it comes to sports, tennis has become luxury fashion's new obsession. Recently, Serena Williams' partnerships with Nike and Off-White’s founder Virgil Abloh produced On-court looks that even brought tennis themes to his Louis Vuitton collection. Tennis is matching sports and high-end fashion serve for serve. Also,  Uniqlo and Roger Federer New York have produced a Tennis classic t-shirt collection with Uniqlo logo on the chest and lines along the corner. 

Roger Federer

Serena Williams

On the luxury side, there are several collaborations between sports brands and high-end labels, including Tomo Clothing™ has introduced an adaptable raincoat inspired by trench coats, ideal for urban riding.

Tomo Clothing™

Jacquemus reimagines Nike as Paris prepares for the Olympic Games. The collaboration comes at a time when sportswear giants are increasingly partnering with luxury designers to capture a broader market. Jacquemus is well-known for his minimalist aesthetics, once claiming “This collection is a mix of sport, fashion and culture in the most beautiful city in the world” on the edge of releasing the collections with Nike in this summer's Olympic Games.

Nike x Jacquemus

Classic Nostalgia is an art of Sports.

We're back in the era of geometric-patterned sweaters, inspired by abstract prints, identifiable brands in bright colors, and modernized traditional jacquards in current hues. Napapijri™ exemplifies this trend with their unique designs that combine classic features with contemporary style. These sweaters highlight the revival of bright, eye-catching designs that add a fresh and dynamic energy to current wardrobes, displaying a harmonic blend of past and present fashion trends.

Napapijri

Now we immerse ourselves in the era of sweaters with geometric patterns found at Napapijri and Oxbow's 1885 collections nicely capture this concept. Many of their products have enormous, brightly colored logos and motifs on the front and back. These styles, which were heavily featured in the latest Barbie film, combine the harshness of the mountains with the lively enthusiasm of 1990s California. Classics like surfing and snowboarding are making a comeback because of material reuse.

Oxbow 1885

In the luxury segment, the North Face-Gucci collaboration is only available to pre-order in Gucci boutiques. As the Gucci styles, you cannot miss out on these logo patterns along the shirts or coats. Those vibrant colors and patterns strongly bring a vintage lifestyle, which seems to be a breakthrough this Fall- Winter 24-25.

The North Face x Gucci

Eco-design is a key component in 2024.

With increasing awareness of health maintenance, the demand for sportswear and activewear is growing across various customer segments. As a result, fashion enthusiasts and brands in 2024 are making sportswear more stylish and versatile.

In view of the 2024 Olympic Games, sportswear and activewear are going to show their diverse functionality and adaptability among fashion enthusiasts and fitness enthusiasts. In the sustainable transformation of the sports and outdoor industry, eco-design parrelly harmonizing with “quiet luxury” design plays an important role in trending adaptability and long lasting sustainability. It blends athletic-inspired clothing with everyday wear and fashionable wear, appealing to those seeking effortless style and comfort.

If you're looking to revamp your collection and stay ahead of the fashion curve, here are the top athleisure fabric trends to watch out for in 2024.

Suggested materials for eco-designs from Inflow.

By incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics into your sportswear and activewear designs, you not only cater to the growing demand for environmentally conscious products but also provide your customers with high-performance garments. 

  1. Recycled Polyamide: This fiber is derived from post-consumer waste, such as discarded fishing nets, and other nylon products. Recycled polyamide reduces environmental pollution and waste by repurposing materials. It wicks moisture effectively, keeping athletes dry and comfortable during intense workouts. The fabric has high elasticity, suitable for sewing yoga sets or underwear.

  1. Recycled Polyester: Polyester is made from recycled plastic bottles. Like standard polyester, recycled polyester is an artificial fabric created from synthetic yarns. However, recycled polyester is made from existing plastic rather than fresh ingredients.

  1. Organic cotton: Grown without using harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Organic cotton is soft, tender and breathable, providing natural moisture absorption and allowing skin to breathe during physical activities. Fabrics such as Organic Cotton Jersey and Organic Cotton Interlock are great choices for eco-conscious sportswear.

  1. Bamboo: Bamboo fabric, derived from a fast-growing, sustainable material, blends well with other fibers like Bamboo Jersey and Bamboo Interlock. It has natural antibacterial properties and excellent moisture absorption, keeping clothes dry and comfortable.

  1. Tencel: Tencel is a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp, known for excellent moisture management and breathability. It inhibits bacteria, regulates body temperature, making it ideal for sports apparel.

Distinguish Jersey and Interlock fabrics of sportswear:

Jersey and Interlock fabrics are two common fabric types of sports gear. Let’s compare the differences between them for a more informed production decision.

So, can sportswear present as a high fashion aesthetic?

The culture of sports is evolving and merging with the innovative garment world. One of the misconceptions about sports apparel is that the designs cannot be dynamic and fashionable. However, these two worlds have always collided in phases over the years, securing its own position among the luxury fashion brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jacquemus, etc.

The way of making athleisure apparel is dynamic, driven by global needs and constant innovation. Eco-designs are a trend in the fashion industry, merging with sustainable materials. Careful material selections for their designs are a key component of activewear production. This might be one of the most challenging elements of sports brands to approach the phase of production development, which Inflow could excel at. 

Visit our catalog and make your activewear collection with us now as we have an all-in-one production package, helping with forecast trending and end-to-end production from design to one of your final masterpieces.

 —> Fabric for a greener future: Top 6 Sustainable Innovation of 2024.