Abstract
This chapter critically examines the social, political, and cultural milieu that has contributed to the development and exponential rise of the athleisure phenomenon (clothing that can be used for leisure or physical use). Examining a myriad of factors—neoliberalism, healthism, social media, and language—this chapter speaks to the contemporary cultural moment where fitness “uniforms” (i.e., yoga pants), once reserved for the gym, now meet fashion and the (sub)urban streets.
Athleisure (ath-ˌlē-zhər) : casual clothing designed to be worn both for ‘exercising and for general use’ / In the world of fashion, 2014 has become the year of “athleisure”
—(“Athleisure” 2016)
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Brice, J., Thorpe, H. (2021). Chapter 1: Activewear: The Uniform of the Neoliberal Female Citizen. In: Fuller, L.K. (eds) Sportswomen’s Apparel Around the World. New Femininities in Digital, Physical and Sporting Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46843-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46843-9_2
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