Women’s Activewear Trend Report SS17

If you don’t understand what’s going on with women’s wear these days, you are excused. While we all grew up with the idea that females need the right garment and attire for various events, they now want the same clothes to work for everything from work to workout and coffee in between. Luckily we have a girl on the team that can help us figure things out, so enjoy Anna Langer’s Trend Report on Women’s Activewear for Spring/Summer 2017.

Roxy

Since the “rise of the yoga pants”, which we outlined in our inaugural trend report on women’s activewear last year, a number of brands have jumped on the fitness wagon and offer clothing that is tailored to span an active girl’s whole life, from her yoga routine in the morning to her commute to work and going out afterwards. “Products you can wear to go for a stand up paddle session, a run, a yoga session or a coffee. One outfit for different moments of your day, versatile products that can do it all,” as Marie Lauga, Roxy Global Head of Design outlines.

Active-focused companies such as Kari Traa and Eivy or Ion build their whole range around sports performance, while others like Volcom and Colour Wear incorporate active pieces into their general range.

Roxy, Protest, Patagonia, Mons Royal and Bench even feature dedicated, stand-alone capsule collections that are clearly differentiated from the apparel collection.

THEMES
Everyone, no matter what their sports, hobbies or life situation, is dreaming of the beach as soon as Spring is near, so it’s natural to take inspiration from there. Volcom go for a “simple coastal living vibe” on sports performance pieces approved by their surfers, Roxy go from “Sand to Sea” capturing the “nomadic spirit of explorer” and Ion sport “Surfing Elements” and “Surfing Trails”, which is “surf-inspired bike wear that offers full bike-specific functionality in a unique design”, states Andi Lipp, Int. Marketing Manager, Ion Bike. Eivy have “women who ride and live their life to the fullest” in mind, true to their slogan “Unbored Onboard”, with a lean to 90s Hip-Hop, Bench take “inspiration from retro sportswear and elements of kitsch,” and Protest tie their active looks to their SUP collection, yet ensure “crossover appeal to street” with “fashionable fitness wear”.

Mons Royal opt for a “very contemporary look” with a “lifestyle oriented capsule featuring prints that make the garment as wearable as streetwear as it is out in the mountains or anywhere” Creative Director Hannah Acland explains. Colour Wear also find it important “that training gear can be used as streetwear pieces and not only when training”, says co-founder Fredrik Abrahamson, which they account for with their “Before-During-After” theme. “We are a lifestyle brand and SS17 is focusing on training and the collection offers everything you need before, during and after training.”

For eco-pioneers Patagonia, their environmental and Fair Trade stories are “the key feature that sets us apart from the crowd,” says Product Line Director for Women’s Sportswear, Laura Kinman.

MATERIAL
According to the requirements, tech fabrics are of course most sought after in activewear, yet cotton is used as well. “We integrate organic cotton blends in some of our street to studio styles,” says Laura from Patagonia. Protest use natural cottons, Volcom have jersey fabrics and Ion mix cotton-synthetic-blends for their tops “to combine functionality with a casual look”. This includes DriRelease Cotton, “offering the advantages of cotton (look & feel) without its disadvantages as it dries four times faster than a cotton fabric,” as Andi explains, that can also be found in Kari Traa’s collection, next to Lenzing Modal.

For even quicker drying properties and enhanced breathability, Ion and Roxy introduce so-called “Channel Flow” fabrics, “a special knitwear structure that offers outstanding breathability and moisture-wicking capabilities resulting in great climate comfort,” according to Andi. Eivy use FABdryTM, “a four-way moisture wicking polyester / elastane stretch fabric with insulating capabilities thanks to its brushed inside,” states Annamaria Eschwey, Eivy Marketing / Communication & Team Management, while Colour Wear feature Swiftdry “to get quick drying fabrics”. The new Merino Air-Con fabric that Mons Royal specifically developed for SS17 has similar qualities: “It’s a 140gsm merino blend that uses a core-spun yarn with a nylon/elastane core which makes it 60% stronger than 100% merino yarns. As a result, it’s highly breathable, dries quickly and great to wear in warm weather,” says Hannah.

They also use merino mesh to “increase breathability in strategic spots – like underarms, the back panels of certain garments designed for high energy activity”. Volcom have “sports-inspired mesh”, Patagonia use “engineered mesh” and Bench “geometrical mesh”. Roxy add mesh inserts to their leggings, for breathability as much as for style, supporting to their prints. They further enhance their fabrics with UV proof, anti-odour and compression characteristics, “the fabrics used for that collection are totally different than the ones we are using for our apparel collection,” says Marie.

Patagonia select recycled fabric whenever premium options are available, states Laura, and Volcom feature “Italian tricot that is made from a combination of recycled fish nets and other nylon wastes,” explains Tori Cruz, Global Swim Designer for Volcom.

PRINTS
Patterns and prints reflect the overall yearning for the beach as well, with “water and the tropics” inspiration from Patagonia, a merged beach-to-city-lifestyle with “bold retro surf stripes, hand-drawn ethnic geos, exotic Hawaiian prints and jungle leaves” from Volcom and “three spectacular flowers patterns worked in a more feminine way than before” from Roxy. Colour Wear take inspiration from nature, “the forest, lakes and all the colours of the spring flowers,” states Fredrik. Protest take “a darker turn” with “deep floral designs” in deep purple and blue.

Protest

In line with their Mix N Match philosophy, making all their gear “compatible to unlimit your styling,” Eivy match floral and animal patterns with comic prints and simple black/white designs. “Every piece of base layer or training wear can be mixed and matched with another top or bottom, even from season to season, this allows customers to create their own unique look,” says Annamaria.

Patagonia have crossovers into the main line, while Roxy features specific prints with a specific colour palette, including their iconic dots and stripes. Mons Royal features stripes too, as do Bench, alongside bold statement prints, and Ion, who have “wavy stripes in different variations”. Kari Traa is sticking to simple design with small colour-blocking effects.

COLOURS
Just like summer itself, the main colour palettes are bright and sunny. “Corals and scream magentas balanced out by rich jewel tones of teal and coastal blues with touches of flash yellow” from Volcom, “seashell pinks, island greens and citrus yellows” from Roxy, “aqua and tangelo contrasted with grey marl” from Mons Royale, grey combined with ebony, orange and white from Kari Traa and a “soft, laundered, sophisticated palette with coral, paprika and light blue” from Bench.

As mentioned before, Protest also feature a deep purple and Kari Traa combine navy and pink, while Ion stick to “reduced designs and muted colours.”

FIT
When it comes to silhouettes and fits, the upcoming activewear has something to offer for every gal. Patagonia offer three different fits, “formfitting, slim fit and regular fit” and Kari Traa also have “everything from slim to baggy” on offer, confirms Nathalie Meinfelder, Sales & Marketing Manager, Germany & Austria for Kari Traa. Ion feature “tight and slim fit styles for those who are performance oriented” next to “wider, regular or even loose fit styles,” Andi explains.

Eivy also feature a “great mixture of sporty fits and cuts”, with “cozy sweatpants and low cut Harlem pants besides the classic shapey tights.” Bench play with “super slim and oversized” as well, mixing “long and cropped leggings and trousers, that feature a slightly higher, flattering waistline,” states Bench Head of Design, Kestin Groeber.

Mons Royal on the other hand go for a “slim, quite athletic fit” while Protest opt for both loose-fitting and tight shirts and tops. “We want for comfort, style, and functionality to be accessible to all those who are pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle,” says Anjet Wesselink, Head of Marketing for Protest Sportswear.

All collections include different kinds of (tank) tops and t-shirts, pants in varying lengths, as well as of course sports bras. Volcom also play with “different takes of our triangle and crop tops”, Roxy have a “full length surf legging that you can also use for any other fitness activity” and Eivy even show training body suits.

Eivy

OUTLOOK
Our last and first-ever trend report of this category closed on the note, that it’s not clear if more active-focused clothing will actually result in more active-seeking customers, and while we’re still waiting on those numbers we can definitely say that activity in this sector has indeed increased.