Fabrics used for sportswear are a good example of the crossover between sportswear and leisurewear, says Nigina Akram, head of design at ST Leisurewear. “In the 1980s some reasonably simple microfibre and coated fabrics were developed, variants of which have met the needs of many sports garments,” she says.

“Fabric developments are now focused on producing much more complex fabrics aimed at very particular performance requirements each of which has only a small volume end-use. The complexity of these fabrics is indicated by the following quotations from recent new fabric launches: "shape-memory polymer"; "aramid for abrasion and tear resistance"; "triple ripstop"; "multi-layer structure"; "surface coating plus water repellent microfibres”; and "hydrophilic ceramics".

It is unlikely that complex fabrics like these will be successfully transported through into high volume leisurewear garments, adds Akram: “There is no functional or aesthetic need for their high performance properties. They are too expensive and would probably still be too expensive even if reasonable volumes were sold.”

Other examples of the crossover between sports and leisure can be found in aerobics and jogging, which gave rise to many fleece and stretch garments; and serious climbing and other outdoor sports, giving rise to high performance outerwear, including breathables.

Leisurewear also gave the concept of "layered" dressing, which is applicable to many sports, says Akram. This could typically include a cotton under-garment for comfort, a fleece middle garment for warmth and outer shell garment for protection.

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