by Louise Wilkes

Growing up in the 2000’s, you were one of two girls; those who wore bum-tight-wide-leg velour joggers with ‘juicy’ plastered on the rear, paired with a statement Ugg boot. A cute, sexy chick, low cut, figure hugging in all the right places silhouette gal. Or you opted for the same Nike tracksuit bottoms that the lads wore– the ‘lets get this workout done AND FAST’ girl (because y’know they’re actually designed for sport). 

Truthfully, it's like you fall into either 'girly princess Fiona' or 'Ogre Fiona' categories in the leisure-wear world - and I found myself the latter. 

That is until the 2020 Covid-19 fiasco. 

Where meetings in fancy heels, pencil skirts and blazers became ‘smart casual’ jumpers, earrings, joggers and slippers; zoom culture-couture. This meant our daily grind could actually be comfortable. We could even rock the home-workout in between meetings, and nobody suspected a thing; THANK YOU ATHLEISURE!

Gone are those boxy Ogre Fiona-style sporting trackies, we are now blessed with so many options. From the Instagram approved leggings - smart casual, ‘look at my banging lady curves’, nifty ‘dress up, dress down tops’ and trainers – (trainers everywhere, FAR AND WIDE). Versatility has never been so comfortable, and even if nobody but the dog sees your outfit today, you are looking chic, and the dog digs it. 

This Athleisure groove has been a muse for so many companies this pandemic; comfort and versatility are the new lady in town and she comes in all forms and prices. So, whatever your budget, athleisure is accessible for everyone, including you. 

What about moving back to normality I hear you ask? Well, according to the Pinterest Predicts report, we might be ushered back into work double-time, yet our trainers and athleisure won’t be going anywhere fast. This new aesthetic twist ‘Athflow’ is the fresh take on oversized, super comfortable and loose trend growing with us as we transition back to workwear pre-Covid-19 – (apparently cotton jumpsuits are even on the rise).

“This idea of who is the self that you bring to the office and what does professionalism look like, I think is very much reflected in the Athflow concept because what is appropriate for professional dressing, what’s appropriate for career dressing, all of that is changing,”
- Kanai asserts.

A truly personified exploration of who are we coming back to, and what will be considered the 'new normal' is something I wonder will be exhibited through our dress codes. Particularly if post-Covid-19 a continuation of working-from-home is anticipated, we could be in this Athleisure-Athflow trend for a while. Fine with me; Zoom-couture-allure may as well be my middle name by now.

To guide us fashionistas, designers are deliberately including relaxed silhouette casualwear in their latest collections; next seasons looks are guaranteed to be much more versatile; lounge-work-evening wear with minimal transition for summer 2021. 

So, with lockdown restrictions slowly lifting, we may still find bumps in the road; don’t discard your joggers just yet, the self-expressive, uber versatile, luxury Athflow trend is lingering, putting your comfort above all else finally.

If only this was the case growing up in 00’s; I’d have been much more comfortable.

If you're wondering where on Earth to fulfil your Athleisure needs - I've got you sorted with 5 Athflow must-haves in 2021.

Black Tshirt 

Relaxed, uber versatile slouchy tee (no crops here!) transformed effortlessly into chic style when teamed with a beige Trench coat.

Knitted dress
Smooth and graceful elegance all in one item of clothing, perfect for everyday lux.

Culotte trousers
Perfect for the spring/summer season, light wide leg trousers ideal to potter around the house with slippers and a t-shirt. Easy speedy outfit transformation with mules and turtleneck jumper; gorgeous! (and still cosy)

Black Turtle neck jumper
100% pure cashmere quality staple of the Athflow style. Wear it with anything…literally anything for utter outfit avail.

Trainers
Nobody can say no to these minimalistic white lovelies; not only do they go with anything, they are vegan too! (it’s a double yes from me!) Giving your outfit a clean, comfy and animal cruelty-free finish.
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See you soon, L.