Athleisure 1s bullshit > It’s the worst of both worlds and you don’t need it Sophie Isbister Columnist T" first two decades of the 21st century will be remembered not for flying cars and robot butlers, but for being the era when humans finally gave up on fashion. It started innocently enough the first time someone wore yoga pants to the office on casual Friday, and then before we knew it, every second person on the street was clad head to toe in Lycra. It may have come on quick, but the trend we now know as “athleisure” is no flash in the pan. Athleisure is a style of clothing. The word is a portmanteau of “athletic” and “leisure,” and I am here to tell you that it is bullshit. Now, I don’t hate athleisure because I am a champion of sartorial excellence. | don’t hate athleisure because its ubiquity approaches a Huxleyan vision of a future where everyone wears matching jumpsuits, and J am certainly no elitist; I dont hate athleisure simply because it’s basic. No, my reasons for thinking that this (unfortunately) enduring trend needs to die are a lot simpler than that: I think it’s a marketing trend that got lucky and took off; I think instead of doing one thing well, it does two things poorly; and I think we just don’t need it! Unfortunately, too many members of the public seem to think we do. Athleisure wear has been steadily growing in Canada, showing gains every year and in 2016 reaching $4 billion in sales, according to an article by The Financial Post. The origin of this demon hybrid fashion rests close to home: Lululemon, the pioneer of wearing your workout clothes everywhere, was founded in Vancouver in 1998. Lululemon’s popularity steadily rose for over a decade before it was featured on Future President Oprah Winfrey’s Favourite Things list in 2010—at which point, this category of clothing exploded into the public consciousness. Everyone needed their own pair of lulus, whether they did yoga or just ate yogurt. And if you have Club Monaco taste on a Joe Fresh budget, well, good news for you: The market demanded that athleisure be available at all price points, for all people. You can now get mediocre stretchy fabric garments almost anywhere. Marketing told us that we, busy millennials, need this type of fashion. We need the freedom to drag our bodies from school, to work, to barre class, (¥ Weneed more male support groups on college campuses (¥ YouTube is killing content creation And more! and, finally, to our second job—while our high-tech pants soak up all the sweat. Athleisure’s hybridization of function is something we've been told we need, but do we really? How hard is it to toss a spare set of clothes into your backpack? Athleisure has taken athletic clothing, which is great, and leisure clothing, which is fantastic, and turned them into a barely palatable mess of straps that I don’t know where to put. The last time I went to buy workout clothes, it was a disaster. Everything had non-functioning zippers, unnecessary slits up the side, and armholes that were way too big. Maybe some of you would look at that disaster and see an opportunity for an Instagram-worthy mirror selfie at the gym, but I just saw a waste of perfectly good technical fabric. Look, friends. I know it might be tempting to kill two birds with one stone and purchase a garment that you can wear whether youre flailing around on a yoga mat or flopping down in front of your Netflix machine, but I urge you: Just say no to athleisure! Try purchasing some classic leisure clothes like pajamas; you'll be a lot more comfortable lounging around in those. Save the Spandex for the gym. Please don't overwork yourself > Making time for rest and relaxation has never been more important Jessica Berget Opinions Editor Gon people think if you're not stressed out, anxious, and exhausted, that you're not working hard enough— but nothing could be further from the truth. If you're experiencing any these feelings it’s most likely because you are already working too hard, and you desperately need a break. Overworking is a common problem in many adult’s lives, but especially among students. Between balancing multiple jobs, classes, studying, volunteering, exercising, maintaining a social circle, and even eating, it’s a wonder how anyone finds the time to pee—much less relax. As much as we like to joke about our unhealthy lifestyles that come with being overworked—being underpaid, not sleeping or eating right, excessive smoking or drinking, and chugging down gallons of coffee to feel alive again—it is a serious epidemic that we should not be taking so lightly. Even just typing out these activities makes me anxious, so the idea that being constantly stressed and exhausted are good indicators of hard work is not only wrong—it’s an extremely unhealthy way to think. People in Japan die from being overworked so much that there is even a word for it. “Karoshi” translated into English literally means “overwork death,” which is usually caused by cardiovascular issues. According to a report by Statistics Canada, Japanese researchers who examined the relationship between cardiovascular disease and long work hours hypothesized that working too much brings about unhealthy lifestyle habits such as “smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of physical exercise, sleeplessness, Photo by Analyn Cuarto poor eating habits, and fewer chances for medical examinations.” Sound familiar? Now, we are not nearly on the same level as Japan, but the correlation between being overworked and the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes on our bodies has never been clearer, but overworking has become such a big part of our society that people continue to do it, whether they Photo of Gigi Hadid via Whowhatwear.com are aware of it or not. For instance, many people say they don’t consider checking emails as work, but I would argue it takes a lot of mental energy to formulate replies to work messages, so it is technically “work.” Learn to tune out those unimportant emails on your days off, and just chill out. It’s for your health. There are also many students who are in such a rush to graduate and get their degrees that they take four to five classes each semester while also juggling jobs and other responsibilities. If this is what you do, you are a much stronger person than I, and I admire the hell out of you. However, you are going to have the rest of your adult life to overwork yourself, so slow down, relax, and have fun—while you still can. Don’t be afraid to take a semester off occasionally or take less classes if you feel you need it. There’s only about two to three week breaks between semesters, but I would say that’s not nearly enough time to unwind after taking multiple classes for four months straight. Take the time off when you can, because before you know it, you will have worked your entire life away. Being constantly overwhelmed and on the verge of a mental breakdown does not equate efficiency and productivity, and that is something we should all learn to accept. If it’s your day off, make it the most relaxing and restful day possible. You deserve it.