[ot-caption title=”Junior Justin Danzansky sporting Champion and Nike. (via, Jessi Gross, freshman)”]

Everyone has a different athletic wear preference, based on price, style, comfort, practicality, brand name, and much more. There are countless popular brands out there ranging from sports-oriented brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour to trendy and fashion-related brands like Lululemon and Athletica.  In addition to these practical and popular brands, celebrity athletic lines are becoming more prominent as well. There are pros and cons to each brand and it is essential to find which style best fits your workouts whether it’s in a hot yoga studio, on a treadmill, or even on the basketball courts.

Nike is the world’s most popular athletic wear brand and sells merchandise for almost every sport. Although some products can get a little bit pricey, it’s still possible to stock up the Swoosh-insignia merchandise when Nike hosts its major sale at the end of the season. It’ll be a great bargain by the end of the year when these great quality items can be bought at extremely reasonable prices. Nike’s most popular product this season for men is the Nike Roshe One Shoe. For women, the best selling item is the Rally Funnel Neck Pullover hoodie. Members of our very own PC community are major fans of Nike as well. Mr. Ames, a history teacher, states, “Nike is my favorite athletic brand because I just like their dri-fit stuff.”

Lululemon Athletica is becoming more well-known around the world and is especially popular here in South Florida. This company began 18 years ago as a small one store community to learn about a healthier lifestyle, but it soon grew into a large franchise with over 350 stores worldwide. From patterned leggings to sleek athletic winter jackets, many believe that the price is worth it because, as freshman Catherine Conklin states, “Their stuff is just great quality.”

Part of many companies’ success is due to the amount of celebrities that endorse the companies. People look to celebrities for all sorts of things, especially clothing inspiration when it comes to professional athletes. This plays a huge role specifically in the success of Nike. Junior Emily Ferrando says, “I love Nike because their stuff is comfortable and colorful and lots of sports players wear them, which makes me want to wear them.” A few examples of these celebrities are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, and Maria Sharapova.

In addition to the traditional athletic-wear lines, celebrities are also starting to take part in the industry.  Although many celebrities simply endorse certain brands, many are creating their own lines.  One line that is highly talked about right now is Beyoncé’s line called Ivy Park (named after her daughter Blue Ivy). This line will contain 200 pieces ranging from prices of $30-$200 of all different styles and colors. This new line hits the stores April 14th and will be sold at stores such as Topshop and Nordstrom. Beyoncé hopes this line appeals to women of all shapes and sizes as well as spreading a positive message. Another popular celebrity brand is Fabletics, co-founded by Kate Hudson in 2013. Hudson’s intentions for creating Fabletics were to motivate women to live a healthy life and achieve their goals. This fit and fun athletic wear brand showcases funky styles and prints. With Hudson as the head spokesperson, the brand has had a successful outlet into the mass market.

While athletic wear is a fun way to express oneself, most people tend to have a favorite brand. Whether it’s in a pilates class, lifting weights at the gym, or playing an after school sport, it’s easy to transform a sweaty workout into a stylish one.

Sources: Nike, Lululemon, Statista, TSM Plug, Romper, Fortune, Fabletics