Popular athleisure wear is all the rage

TAMPA (FOX 13) - You've probably seen women on the run, doing errands, picking up kids, even dining out in workout wear that used to be reserved for the gym. 

The rise of athleisure wear is a phenomenon that may be telling us something about our way of living these days. Linda Hurtado went into the city to find out why yoga pants and work out shirts are so hot right now.

It's a typical fall night in Hyde Park Village in Tampa. Lots of young people gathering for a little fun.

Social events like these, anchored around light physical exercise and comfortable clothes, highlight a growing trend among women - athleisure wear. This particular Bend and Brew event was sponsored, in part, by lululemon. After a little yoga, It's time to meet, mingle and mix,  and you don't even have to change clothes. It's reflective, some say, of a new way of living. Sheena Bell sums it up.

"It's more accepted because it's not just work out wear anymore, it's life wear. People are wearing them to work. People are wearing them to the mall. People are wearing them to events like this."

Where did this trend begin? Lululemon came along in the late 90's with premium priced yoga wear that woman starting wearing on the street - or in the mall. Flash forward to 2016, Lululemon has competition, close competition here at the International Plaza in Tampa. Right across the way a Fabletics just opened and right below Luluemon - Athleta.

We asked Athleta's general manager Kelly Oxendine about the growing demand for more than just casual Friday. 

"Women today are busy. A  lot of women want to be active and want to be fit. But they also want versatility."

Blogger Mina Sinai has penned a number of blogs on this very subject. She met up with me at Athleta to show us how women are turning atheisure wear into much more.

"I'm a big dress person. I love incorporating athleisure into dresses. So, what I've done is taken a basic black dress which is actually quite formal and could be worn to a date or work and I've paired it with pieces that are athleisure inspired."

The Hyde Park crowd was mostly women but what about men?

Mina says, "My finance wears athleisure wear all the time."

It's selling point to both sexes may be comfort that works for you as well.

Athleta's store GM says, "We have tops that wick away any moisture  when you work out.  Or we have bottoms that sculpt to you and support you while youre working out. Some great pieces that have sun protection."
 
While many brands are pricey, Mina says it's a trend all can afford.

"If you want to go higher end you can go to Lululemon or Nordstrom or Athleta. There's also lower end price points, so you don't have to have a big budget to get into the athleisure trend."

With the three stores open at International Plaza, it does seem like this trend is far from going away.

Sheena Bell says, "I pretty much live in my leggings. I'm not going to lie. I wear them everywhere."