The Hottest Vintage Athleisure Brands for Autumn
Although we may not quite want to believe it, one of the best British summers on track record is drawing to a close. Whilst we’ve had plenty of time to bask in denim shorts and vest tees over the past few months, it’s probably time to accept that you’re soon going to swapping shorts for jeans and tees for jumpers. Regardless, Autumn is a fantastic time for fashion and definitely one of our favourite seasons for showcasing the best parts of your wardrobe.
The athleisure trend that has swept its way into every teen and twenty-something’s wardrobe over the past couple of years, really is showing no signs of stopping. Designer vintage clothing is brilliant for sourcing the creme de la creme of genuine athleisure garments that don’t only look spectacular, but have a pretty friendly price tag too..!
We’ve looking into what we believe will be the hottest athleisure trends of Autumn and the brands that will take us there. Below, we’ve delved into the world of these designer vintage brands that despite being drenched in exciting fashion history, are still paving the way for the latest athleisure trends in 2018.
Italian brand Kappa is the face of the sportswear revival! Having re-designed their classic styles and signatures (such as their taped logo accents) the modern Kappa collection combines classic sportswear with contemporary styling. Kappa originally started as a stock form in 1916 (yes it’s that old!) but turned into the Kappa we know today in 1967. It’s currently one of the leading brands in sportswear and lifestyle worldwide. The brand is renowned as being technical, nonconformist, colourful, flexible and competent.
Now, let’s take a quick dip into their history and how they came to be…
In 1956, a faulty stock of socks manufactured by Maglificio Calzaturificio Torinese (MCT), a company established by Abramo Vitale in 1916, was mistakenly distributed on the market. Retailers returned the socks and MCT, and to give the product renewed strength and credibility, they branded the new collection’s packaging with a “K” and the German caption “Kontroll”. From that moment customers only ordered the socks with the K – and in a short time Kappa became a leader of the socks and underwear market.
In 1968, Kappa evolved even more when Maurizio Vitale, the founder’s great-grandson and newly-appointed managing director, saw John Lennon interviewed on TV, wearing a military shirt belonging to a casualty of the Vietnam war. This was when he decided to conquer a market eager for casual and unisex clothes. Maurizio Vitale had thousands of unsold T-shirts, that were lying in warehouses, dyed green and customised with military stars and insignia - this was the birth of the Robe di Kappa brand. Just before 2000, Kappa started a new revolution and at the same time made a dream come true: it became the technical sponsor of the Italian national soccer team and for the 2002 World Cup it sent its champions on the field wearing the Kappa KOMBAT.
Check our range of vintage Kappa clothing
Ellesse
Ellesse was founded by Leonardo Servadio in Perugia in 1959 and it grew in popularity during the 1970s as a producer of skiwear such as quilted jackets and ski trousers. In 1979, Ellesse's Jet Pant, ski trousers that featured padded knees and a wide lower leg to fit around a ski boot, was included in an event at the Pompidou Centre in Paris celebrating Italian design.
Another sport with which Ellesse has been closely associated withsince its early years, is, as you may know - tennis. The Ellesse logo references the form of a tennis ball with the shape of the tips of a pair of skis! Through the 1970s and 1980s, Ellesse gained a reputation for combining sportswear functionality with street-level fashion styling and was one of the first sportswear brands to feature their logo prominently on the outside of its garments. In the mid 80s, French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac worked with Ellesse to make an early collaboration between a sportswear company and a fashion designer - the true meaning of athleisure! The UK casuals/dressers adopted the brand in the 80s as premium sportswear took off across British casual culture.
Take a look at our collection of vintage Ellesse clothing
Fila
Fila has its roots in Italy but is now a South Korean sporting goods company. Fila was founded in 1911 in Italy and since a takeover in 2007 by Fila Korea, it now has offices in 11 countries round the world.
When Fila started up in Italy by the Fila brothers in 1911, it originally started by making clothing for the people of the Italian Alps but now it manufactures sportswear for men, women, children and athletes. The company's primary product was originally underwear, before moving into sportswear in the 1970s, initially with the endorsement of tennis player Björn Borg. The brand got more popular after moving into sportswear and that is where it has stayed!
Browse our vintage Fila clothing
Champion
Champion is an American manufacturer of clothing, specialising of course, in sportswear.
The company was established in 1919 by the Feinbloom brothers and Champion soon signed an agreement with the Michigan Wolverines to produce uniforms for their teams. In the 1930s the company was renamed "Champion Knitting Mills Inc.” that made sweatshirts. Soon after, Champion products were adopted by the US Military Academy to be used during training exercises and physical education classes.
During the 1990s, Champion made uniforms for all the NBA teams as well as some NFL teams
It has also produced sportswear for many major US universities as well as being the kit manufacturer of the Olympic basketball team that competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics. From there, they have continued to produce large amounts of kit for many different sports teams from Premier League, the Wales national football team and Greek basketball team and many others!
Check out our selection of Champion vintage clothing
Reebok is a global athletic footwear and apparel company, operating as a subsidiary of German sports giant, Adidas since 2005.
Reebok makes and sells fitness, running and CrossFit sportswear (clothing and footwear). It’s the official footwear and apparel sponsor for Ultimate Fighting Championship, CrossFit, Spartan Race, and Les Mills.
Unlike all of the other sportswear brands in this blog, Reebok was founded in Lancashire, England! From 1958 until 1986, Reebok apparel featured a Union Jack but still use the Union Jack in many of their classics. Despite being a British born company, in November 2016, Reebok announced they would be moving their headquarters location to Boston. The reasons for the move, according to the company, is so that they can be located in an urban environment that is more desirable to millennial workers and to “clarify the roles” of United States offices - this will be happening this Autumn.
Reebok signed Venus Williams after winning singles titles at Wimbledon and the 2000 Summer Olympics and then in December 2000, Reebok signed a 10-year licensing agreement with the NFL for the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell NFL licensed merchandise, including uniforms and footwear, for all 32 teams.
Take a look at our vintage Reebok clothing
So those are some of the hottest vintage althleisure brands to be keeping an eye out for this Autumn - we foresee lots of sweatshirts, crops and bomber jackets!
