The rise of activewear and athleisure spiked during pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 and it hasn’t stopped growing since. Not only has the market grown but it’s established itself as a staple blending the worlds of wellness, fitness and fashion. The global activewear market size was estimated at USD 406.83 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 677.26 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.0% from 2025 to 2030. The North America activewear market alone accounted for a revenue share of 38.46% in 2024 is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2025 to 2030 with women accounting for a revenue share of 47.62% in 2024. Millennials, in particular, are willing to invest significantly in fitness, with lifetime spending projected to be around $112,000, a substantial portion of which goes toward activewear.
Brands are capturing this momentum doubling down on activewear and athleisure. Some brands have even completely pivoted into activewear or have added an activewear vertical outside of their main offering due to demand. These female founders share why they are doubling down on activewear and the imapct it’s had on growth.
Monday Body
Monday Swimwear launched Monday Body with the same mission as its swimwear, filling a real gap in the market for activewear that’s supportive, flattering, and genuinely empowering to wear. “Like wearing a bikini, working out can be a vulnerable moment for a lot of women, and we wanted to create pieces that make you feel confident, strong, and like the best version of yourself. That’s why we’re so excited to keep investing in Monday Body — it’s an extension of our purpose, and the response has shown us it really resonates,” shared Tash Oakley and Devin Brugman, founders of Monday.
Swimwear customers have quickly adopted and embraced Monday Body as the initial launch surpassed seven figures and sales are up 90% YoY. “That growth has been driven by a mix of loyal swim customers and new customers discovering the brand through Monday Body. There’s clearly an appetite for elevated, supportive essentials that women can feel confident in — and we’re just getting started. With new styles, extended sizing, and special drops on the horizon, we’re excited to continue building in a thoughtful, intentional way. Women are styling the pieces from workout to weekend, and they love that they can wear Monday not just in a fitness setting, but as part of their everyday lifestyle — whether that’s running errands, traveling, or just feeling put together on the go,” Oakley and Brugman shared.
437
437 originally launched as a swim and resort wear brand but naturally evolved into an activewear brand over the years. “Activewear wasn’t just a market trend for us; it reflected our lifestyles. We were building 437 to support women in real life. Whether it be a pilates studio, at the gym or getting brunch with friends, they deserve stylish, functional pieces that let them feel confident. So, pivoting into activewear was less of a switch and more of an expansion, allowing us to stay true to our ethos while creating pieces that matched our customers’ daily needs,” shared founders Hyla Nayeri and Adrien Bettio.
Activewear quickly became 437’s strongest revenue driver within two years of pivoting with profits growing 2000% between 2023 and 2024. This signaled not just customer interest, but a deep alignment between the brand’s assortment and what people were reaching for every day. “We’re investing in flattering and functional pieces that work both in and out of the studio. We focus on intentional designs that are as flattering as they are functional. We have the privilege of connecting with our customers directly and intimately on socials. From our DMs to TikToks, our number one sentiment is how soft the material is. They notice the little details that our team puts so much love into, like princess seams hitting in all the right places, or the lack of a front seam for a smooth legging fit. Our community gets very excited about new pieces, so much so that we’ve had collections sell out significantly faster than anticipated,” they added.
FORM
FORM which is known for its workout platform founded my Sami Clarke and Sami Spalter, introduced apparel a little over a year ago. “The inspiration to launch FORM’s apparel came from a deeply personal need. We spend all of our time in activewear and simply couldn’t find a brand that truly met all of our needs—comfort, style, and versatility. We realized that if we were this way, our community must feel the same. FORM was born out of a desire to offer high-quality, stylish, and functional pieces that reflect our commitment to both performance and comfort. July marks the one-year anniversary of our first sketches for FORM’s apparel and one year since we started dreaming of seeing our community in FORM. From the first designs to seeing the FORM fam bring them to life, every step has been fueled by this vision,” explained Spalter.
FORM app customers seamlessly embraced the addition of FORM’s athleisure, frequently selling out multiple collections just from waitlist pre-sales. The collections have also sold out on the road at in-person FORM pop-up’s. “Our New York pop-up was a tremendous success, offering customers an in-person experience to engage with the brand and apparel. The response was overwhelming, with several styles and colorways selling out. This event underscored the excitement and connection our community feels toward FORM apparel, and we are so excited to be hosting another pop-up in LA on October 14th,” added Clarke.
Nama
Nama was founded by Emily Rayner as she was looking for activewear that was neither too technical nor trend driven. Searching for pieces that made them feel confident, feminine, and put-together at all times of the day. “At the time, those options were limited. There weren’t many styles that felt elevated and wearable – that balance of sexy yet understated, or functional yet refined. I wanted an activewear wardrobe that felt as curated and versatile as the rest of my closet. That’s what sparked the idea for Nama,” she shared.
The brand is investing in pieces that feel just as good as they look with unique designs, refined palettes, and silhouettes that really flatter the body. “Our focus is on creating garments that are both aspirational and wearable (think corset-inspired dresses that move with you, sculpting leggings, and elevated matching sets). We’ve seen the strongest response to the pieces that really embody Nama’s design philosophy, bold, body-contouring, and versatile. Our Contrast Collection, which is our most statement-making and sculptural to date, has been our highest-performing drop yet in both sell-through speed and customer engagement. We completely sold out of key styles within hours, and had to increase our inventory buys by 540% to keep up with demand,” explained Rayner. “Similarly, our Contour Leggings have quickly become a best-seller! We’ve restocked them three times since January; each replenishment moved >70 % in the first 24 hours. They’re consistently our most reordered style, and hold a return rate of under 7% – well below the industry average for leggings. They’ve quietly made their way into the wardrobes of Khloe Kardashian, Julianne Hough, Madison LeCroy, Tessa Thompson, Sophia Bush, Meagan Good and more.
YoY Nama has grown 154% with double digit MoM momentum which will lead them to hit double revenue this year.
SET
SET sold more leggings YoY since 2023 from straight-leg silhouettes, layered waistbands, contrast piping with details that make activewear feel chicer without sacrificing comfort. “That tells us something important: people aren’t abandoning athleisure, they’re asking for options that reflect how they really live and dress. Yes, Gen Z is embracing more relaxed fits and alternative fabrications. It signals an opportunity for SET to assume more of their closet share – to take the versatility and ease of athleisure and expand it into pieces that move seamlessly beyond the gym. That’s why we’re doubling down,” shared SET CEO and founder, Lindsey Carter, on consumers wanting innovation around style, cut and fabric.
SET is already up +49% going into Q4 compared to last year, which is its biggest quarter yet. We’re seeing a craving for pieces that feel unique without being fleeting. Consumers want timeless athleisure and activewear with details that make it stand out – contrast stitching, unexpected cuts, intentional layering pieces – elements that elevate staples into something special,” she added.
CEAN
CEAN came from solving personal need for Lauren Dovey as she always dealt with lymphatic sluggishness, PCOS, and circulation issues, and while medical-grade compression helped her physically, she couldn’t find a single option that I actually wanted to wear or felt comfortable in. “The category is traditionally dominated by clinical or shapewear-style garments that felt restrictive, outdated, sweaty, and disconnected from how I wanted to feel in my clothes: confident, stylish, supported. There was also a gap in materials. I couldn’t find any brand offering true medical compression made from natural, breathable fibers, because it didn’t exist. I spent over a year developing our textiles with a US manufacturer, pushing the boundaries in a very unconventional way to create a fabric that’s over 70% plant-based. It’s the softest, silkiest, most breathable compression you’ve ever felt. Bouncy and wearable, not stiff or restrictive,” she explained. “From there, we layered in our patented lymphatic pressure pattern, certified graduated compression, and a refined fashion silhouette. The result is a range of pieces that look like elevated wardrobe staples, but underneath the surface, you’re either getting general wellness benefits from a wearable lymphatic massage or using them to help manage symptoms tied to circulation, fluid retention, or inflammation. That blend didn’t exist in the market, so I built it.”
Dovey sees CEAN as wearable wellness, bridging the gap between traditional compression wear and trendy activewear. Although newly launched, customers have reported feeling lighter, less puffy, and more supported almost immediately after wearing the garments.”The throughline is that the garments feel good and do good without compromising style. That’s the aim for me and I personally love them so much there aren’t many days during the week you won’t catch me wearing my cean wardrobe!” exclaimed Dovey.