Functionality is the New Flex

Luxury functional clothing and why it's working

Prada SS 1999

Sport clothes have pretty much always been apart of what we wear, but there was a time when it was distinctly for said sport or activity. In the early 1900s it was more substantial fabrics like thick cotton, even wool in some cases to actually take a beating to hold up in physical sports. Many of which are reinterpreted nowadays and worn casually or true examples that are coveted on the second hand market.

In the late 90s we saw the likes of Helmut Lang, Prada Sport, Polo Sport, and Nike ACG make these really interesting and technical versions of sport pieces. They were elevated, chic, and aspirational in cost and design. A lot of influence came from military, specifically with Helmut lang putting pretty spot on interpretations of these garments down the runway, with his own twist of course. I think this crossover of sport, utility, and functionality is really where the best clothes live. Some of the best brands in 2025 are combining all of these things and inviting us into that world.

Athleisure swept the united states like almost nothing we’ve seen before in the early 2000s, mostly thanks to LuLuLemon and their elevated casual yet sort of chic sportswear. Especially at that time and still a bit today it was considered a luxury or status symbol.

The aforementioned brands (Prada, Helmut Land, ACG, etc) combined with the cult like following and status of Lulu and Alo is where I want your mind to go. Wellness has become the new status symbol and brands are building brands around this idea of luxury wellness. The goal is to appeal to people with disposable income, a yearning for exclusivity, and a love of gear.

c/o Literary Sport Instagram

Looking at longevity the first brand I think of is District Vision. They were making pretty expensive running gear that also had a lifestyle component and it felt chic. Creating campaigns that appeal to athletes but also leaning editorial with their styling. Satisfy has since entered the conversation, fully focused on performance, but using ideas and fabrics we haven’t seen before, making it again aspirational and really interesting. Fashion guys want to wear it even if they aren’t runners. More recently on my radar, Literary Sport, seems to be the best of both worlds. They have two distinctly different categories, lifestyle and running, both of which are really cool and fit together seamlessly. It’s everything what I want out of my casual athletic clothing. It feels like 90s Prada Sport but much more accessible price wise, less reflective, and just really chic. Roa and Arteryx Veilence are of course huge players in this space as well.

On a much more accessible scale, brands like Outdoor Research, Gramicci, and Montbell are still making really good stuff. While Gramicci really leans into lifestyle, Outdoor Research and Montbell are still very athlete first, while seemingly trend aware. Blamo! Notes interviewed the CD of Outdoor Research for some more context around how they approach design, great listen. Linked here. When you look through the offerings at these brands you can find some really cool pieces that can elevate casual looks and create some talking points amongst the fashion aware.

Brands built around a certain activity have much more to pull from in terms of editorial/marketing ideas and building community. All of which are key to building a brand today. While running is leading the charge in terms of really cool and interesting gear, I’d love to see more from other sports like tennis, track & field, or combat sports, single person sports seem to work best. Golf is arguably the runner up in cool gear right now, s/o the homies at Whim Golf. As a former hooper, I’d love to see something like that in the basketball space but it’s dominated by the huge brands. If anyone wants to take a shot at it with me, holla at ya boy.

Here’s some gear I’m eyeing from these brands, thanks for reading, drop some comments on your thoughts or any brands you love in this space.

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Literary Sport Pant (sold out but I need them)

Literary Sport Quarter Zip

District Vision Shell Pants

District Vision Wool Zip Up

District Vision Half Zip Shell

Montbell Tote

Montbell Toe Socks

Montbell Striped Tee

Montbell Merino Wool T-Shirt

Montbell Cool Cap

Outdoor Research Rain Jacket

Outdoor Research Insulated Jacket

OR Swift Cap

Gramicci Canvas Work Pant

Gramicci Canvas Hoodie

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