Trend Report
The State of Fitness Fashion
To compile this report, Lyst compared the online shopping behaviour of more than 104 million shoppers across 12,000 fashion brands and retailers searching, browsing and buying fashion while analysing various spikes in search over the past three months. Along with research for emerging micro trends and ongoing shifts in the culture of athleisure, fashion and consumerism over the last three years.
Achieving the Perfect Sculpt
Searches for activewear items have seen a significant increase since the beginning of this new year and are currently up 59%. Demand for leggings was consistently high throughout 2019, resulting in an additional 15% rise since the first week of January — no doubt inspired by New Year’s fitness resolutions. On average, 35 pairs of leggings are bought every hour on Lyst, while the average cost has increased 17% year on year.
Following the shapewear renaissance, leggings and workout bottoms that sculpt have become a favourite amongst the fashion set too. Data indicates their continued growth in popularity, with searches including key terms like “shaping”, “lift” and “sculpting” increasing collectively 392% over the last 3 months. Waist contouring and sculpting leggings from SPANX, Sweaty Betty, and AloYoga have all significantly increased in page views heading into this new year.
Searches for super high waisted leggings are at an all-time high, increasing 65% year on year. Alongside that, Lyst is seeing a growing interest in one-piece workout bodysuits — demand for bodysuits and leotards collectively grew 83% in 2019 and has increased an additional 21% since the beginning of January. From Adidas to ASOS and Free People Movement, sports unitards are having a fashion moment. Plain black is currently the most commonly searched for colour.
Increasingly more Sustainable
With searches for sustainable fashion up 75% year on year, eco-conscious activewear is one of the biggest trends we can expect to see more of in 2020. Whether they are using recycled plastic or regenerated nylon, organic cotton or recycled polyester, eco-friendly workout brands are becoming more and more popular amongst shoppers.
Words “sustainable” and “recycled” are increasingly being used in searches for sneakers. It comes as no surprise that the sustainable sneaker brand Veja launched its first sports shoe this September, having spent four years developing an eco running model named “Condor”.
Meanwhile searches for specific sustainable materials commonly used in activewear have risen year on year: 102% for econyl, 130% for repreve, 42% for tencel and 52% for organic cotton. More than ever shoppers are now choosing eco-friendly options when heading to the gym; searches for “sustainable activewear” are at an all-time high, up 151% compared to the previous year. The most searched for brands on Lyst right now for responsible activewear are Girlfriend Collective, Adidas x Parley and Outdoor Voices. The fastest rising brand is Vyayama, a conscious active and yoga wear label.
The Brunch Brands
As yoga has grown in popularity — and our Instagram feeds highlight more posed lifestyles — activewear has developed to reflect this. From motivational quotes and hashtags to stylish Instagram fitness influencers with millions of followers, activewear has now levelled up to cool styles that can take you quickly from gym classes to weekend brunches and everything in between.
Trending animal prints, bold patterns or sleek monochromes, as well as pieces from Lululemon to Beyond Yoga had continuous high demand in searches throughout 2019, highlighting the rise of a more healthy lifestyle. This trend shows no sign of slowing down this year, rising 38% since the beginning of January. Among others, Aussie fashion sportswear brands such as P.E Nation and L’URV are currently high in demand on Lyst.
Additionally, the rise of yoga culture over the last two years has resulted in a 42% increase in the number of yoga-related products sold through Lyst. Fashion searches for yoga clothing have increased significantly with the demand for “yoga leggings” specifically up 36% month on month. More than 32% of activewear shoppers on Lyst opt for colours when buying yoga wear pieces. Online searches indicate that pastel colours — especially light blue, baby pink, lilac, beige and white – have gained traction and are frequently being used in “yoga” searches.
The Functional Futurewear
As the lines between working out and “going out” are blurring, future activewear has evolved into balancing functionality with fashion. From metallic colours to leggings with zips and pockets, the demand for hybrid sportswear pieces is growing strong. In fact, searches for leggings with pockets are up 180% over the past 3 months while searches for “zip leggings” have risen by 76%.
Additionally, other trending styles picking up speed recently are high shine and coated leggings. Demand for these styles — which are basically too fancy to sweat in — is on the rise with searches for “black coated leggings” specifically up 250% since mid-November. After JLo was spotted in a pair of metallic rose gold yoga leggings in December, searches for “metallic leggings” went up 33% in the following 24 hours.
Meanwhile, searches for solid monochrome colours that can be easily mixed and paired such as black, burgundy, dark green, and grey, were particularly popular over the past three months — they were collectively up 71%. Nike’s collaboration with futurewear designer Marine Serre for the 2019 women’s World Cup capsule collection proved particularly successful, generating a spike in pageviews for the designer when it was announced back in May. Similarly, activewear in neon shades like fuschia and yellow have also seen rising demand with search counts currently up by 61% and 55%, respectively.