The Athleisure Movement has single-handedly destroyed the idea of elegance and replaced it with ‘comfort.’ Several companies really were the catalysts to this movement: Lulu Lemon for clothing and Cole Haan for shoes. As a business, I can’t fault them. They saw an opportunity that was apparently wanted, capitalized on it, and are now reaping the benefits of it. As a business owner myself, my hat is off to them for their ability to find that niche and grow it into a successful and profitable movement. As a fighter for the maintenance of elegance, I loathe the movement and the mentality of ‘me, me, me’ and ‘what I want,’ which is what I feel this movement is an extension of.
Dress codes have maintained a certain level of decorum in society. Think upscale restaurants that have waiters/workers wearing suits or similar. Or when it was mandatory to wear a suit when working at Nordstrom. Or even going to a bank. Now, at all of those places, you can find a guy in jeans/chinos, some shoes like in the feature image and no jacket. You can no longer tell the ‘professional’ from the customer. Service at Nordstrom has plummeted to a despicable level. You enter the shoe floor, you cannot tell who works there, no one greets you and the employees are on their phones. The founders of Nordstrom are rolling in their graves right now. The Athleisure Movement has been a part of that.
The Athleisure movement really came in selling the idea of comfort to women (via brands like Lulu Lemon etc.), and then slowly crept over and took men with them. And did a good job at it. The problem is it has gotten so far that more and more people are wearing gym clothes in the streets rather than actual clothes, and the majority of them are not going to the gym, or even working out. They are simply in their day’s attire. And that is what frightens me about the future of this movement. Comfort is a huge ‘selling point’ and sadly people never see ‘dressing up’ as comfortable. And when given the choice, you know what they opt for.
As a society, we have become very lazy and a great deal of us with victim mentalities. People ask themselves ‘Why shouldn’t I be comfortable? Why shouldn’t I dress how I want?’ And yes, you should be free to do what you want, but of course within reason. People forget that certain systems are put in place for a reason. A dress code is there to counteract our inclinations towards the ‘self’ for the sake of others or ‘the whole’. It is there for a reason. Sometimes it may suck, but in the long run, its idea is greater than the alternative of letting society run amok doing/dressing how they feel, where they feel and when they feel.
Unfortunately we as people, more often than not, absorb information and then make a judgment on that information through visual intake. For example, if a young man sees his father wearing smart dress shoes his whole life, chances are that he will also follow suit when he gets older. If he sees his father wearing crocs…..well you get the idea. And while not a stone-cold rule, the ratio of this rule is greater towards replication than rebellion.
It is called groupthink when this happens in great numbers as people often follow what others do, like if you are walking down the street and see 4-5 people all start running. Chances are you will start running too without even knowing why. The same thing happened when you found yourself buying gym clothes for your daily wear. You walked into that shop, bought those clothes, and did so because your subconscious told you that if all of these people in the street can do it then so can you, not to mention all of the subliminal marketing that you must have been subjected to.
So now, a few early starters to the Athleisure movement have created a society of people wearing their gym clothes daily in the streets. Spandex, tights, athletic bras, gym shorts, running shoes, etc, have replaced dresses, nice blouses, elegant shorts, cotton trousers, oxford shirts, polo’s, smart shoes, etc. You see this trend greater in women than in men but it is creeping over and that is what frightens me. Couples are out and about on their days off, walking their dogs or pushing their baby strollers wearing clothes as if they just came from the gym. One thing is being comfortable, another is always being in gym clothes.
And for me, this entire trend is a problem. It completely destroys the idea of elegance and looking smart. And the need for proper dress shoes. As ‘The Shoe Snob’ I must rebel against it. It is distasteful when abused and sadly for many is becoming a way of life. I completely get wanting to be comfortable. I really do. I want to be comfortable too and I wear sneakers. But sweat pants are for the gym, or home. Or maybe a quick store run. But not for daily use all day long. For me, the idea of being respectable has been lost. The idea of dressing nice is actually showing respect for others, for society, and in reality for yourself. Being comfortable everywhere without caring about societal rules is selfish. This entire trend is a selfish one, in my very humble opinion.
The question is, will we ever go back to dressing smarter or is this the first step towards space clothes that you see on Star Trek and all of those movies from the past that showed the future where everyone was wearing gym-like clothing?
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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“It is ugly, it is sad, and it is just downright wrong”… I hear you, brother!!!!!
It’s the sign of the times and it’s sad indeed… But… know what? We shall prevail!
We’ve overcome worse times and it’s going to be no exception!!!!!
You made my day, Justin…!!!!
Thanks for sharing JM!
The bigger problem is that dressing “elegantly” isn’t seen as comfortable.
Why can’t one dress to be elegant and still be comfortable? These are not mutually exclusive.
Couldn’t agree more, JK
. Obviously I don’t wear my white tie outfit at home for dinner (I know, I should as my wife is around… lol!), but (joking apart) I wear a suit to work, try to dress “properly” at the weekends… and always manage to be as comfortable as possible.
In this scorching summer it is less so… but I still get the pride of being.. apart from the crowd! Lol!
couldn’t agree more myself!
I wear a suit or sport jacket to work 4 out of five days and dress in cotton pants and a shirt/sweater/polo on Fridays. But, when I get home, I dress in leisure wear. T-shirt w/ shorts around the house and to walk the dog I put on running shoes. I would definitely not wear my Edward Greens or Alfred Sargents to walk the dog. And, even in winter, I’m not wearing shell cordovan boots with a leather sole to do it, although I would wear grained leather boots on lug soles if there’s some snow on the ground.
I should probably add that I don’t wear t-shirts, shorts, and running shoes when I’m going to the store or taking the kids somewhere. In those cases, I wear smart shorts, polos, short sleeve madras shirts, and smart sneakers in the summer, jeans or cotton pants and boots in the fall and sweaters in the winter.
Thank you for writing (err typing) this. Bruce Boyer has a lot of interesting, as well as thought provoking things to say about our societal casualization. There is also another article that reminds me of the things you have stated above.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/526014/&ved=2ahUKEwiuuaXw7orjAhVBnp4KHVSbDxUQFjABegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0NgjW3rpCgQsUWE4dV_Rrb&cf=1&cshid=1561679877969
This will provide some more insight into the subject, so I do reccomend reading it.
Kind regards!
https://youtu.be/3crhX2znM_s
Here is a Bruce Boyer article in which he discusses the subject pretty well.
Thanks for sharing Kaegen
thanks for sharing Eugene. I didn’t mean that someone should wear their dress shoes to walk the dog, but what I meant is that I saw couples that were ‘out and about in the city’ and dressing like they were heading to the gym. Whether it was walking the dog, the baby or just taking a stroll through the town, I think that more appropriate attire could be used to still be relaxed and comfortable, as you mentioned wearing yourself.
I am with you. This move to athleisure is appalling. I getting dressed up, looking good and feeling great. A beautiful pair of leather shoes, a made to measure suit with a crisp dress shirt and a silk tie. We live in a very selfish world where we have lost our compass on how we respect one another.
yes we do. So sad. Even more sad, is I sometimes lose faith that it will ever go back. We are too consumed in our own greed and selfishness as a society. I hope to be wrong
Hello Justin
This year I have decided to make the effort to overdress in whereever enviorment I am. Using tie where is no needed, wearing linen jackets in informal gatherings, even wearing better fitting running clothes. I am sure that sometimes I will feel a misfit, no issue with that. As The Kinks song says: “So take a good look around, the misfits are everywhere”.
Dressing well gives you a secret superpower, I learned that when I found people giving glances to my shoes.
Cheers
100% my friend. Way to keep up the good fight! I wish I was as dedicated as you. One day when I do not have to pack and shine shoes, I will be the same 😉
Important commentary, with which I agree completely. As a small, on-line business owner operator, who also operates in professional business environments, where lowered standards are too clear, I’m proud to remain a ‘more elegant’ dresser whenever I’m in those environments. I wish you good luck in your business! Happy to be a 1:1sounding board if you wish!-)
Thanks Kennedy, glad that you enjoyed!
Wonderful article! I could not agree more. I will go to my grave making an effort to dress well. I do it for myself AND for others.
Thanks for sharing Charlotte!