Sportswear, in the context of fashion, sometimes called athleisure, is a style of dress that has its roots in the athletic apparel traditionally worn by sportsmen and women, but which has since evolved to become a broad and globally recognisable genre of fashion. Its popularity stems from a combination of comfort, practicality, and a distinctive visual identity. Typical garments include hoodies, tracksuits, leggings, sweatshirts, and sneakers, often featuring prominent manufacturer branding.
The term originated in America, and at first was used to describe separate jacket and trousers worn rather than a full men's suit. Since the 1930s it referred to day and evening fashions of varying degrees of formality that demonstrate a specific relaxed approach to their design, while remaining appropriate for a wide range of social occasions. The term predated activewear (clothing designed specifically for participants in sporting pursuits), but the two terms are now often used synonymously. Although sports clothing was available from European haute couture houses and "sporty" garments were increasingly worn as everyday or informal wear, the early American sportswear designers were associated with ready-to-wear manufacturers. While most fashions in America in the early 20th century were directly copied from, or influenced heavily by Paris, American sportswear became a home-grown exception to this rule, and could be described as the American Look. Sportswear was designed to be easy to look after, with accessible fastenings that enabled a modern emancipated woman to dress herself without a maid's assistance.
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