Workout gear gets colourful kick

A Story by liker

Black used to be cool. It was serious, purposeful and strong. Black meant you were fit. Really fit.

Those days are gone.

Athletes, fitness freaks and weekend warriors are all brightening up their wardrobes. Colour is in, black is out.

Walking through popular sports gear stores, the walls are a sea of colours and patterns, each more outrageous than the next. The only items with a significant amount of black are leggings - and even those are on their way out.

Christchurch fashion stylist Angela Stone says "people are just so over black".

Sportswear has become an extension of people's personalities.

"It's about lifestyle and it's about comfort," Stone says. "The weirder the better, the brighter and more clashing the colours the better."

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Stone says people are embracing fluoro, putting pinks with oranges and buying the most colourful trainers they can find.

"It goes to show you how adventurous people really are," she says. "They don't want to look like each other."

Brands like Onzie, Nike and Lululemon are turning to pattern and colour as their customers cry out for options and individuality. The crazier, the better.

Onzie's online store offers leggings in peacock colours, snakeskin print and solar system designs.

Lululemon has striped and floral ranges.

Spokeswoman Kristy Taylor says the brand is all about merging functionality with beautiful designs.

"Colour is bright and fun - it can make people feel happy, positive and beautiful!" she says.

Gym bunny Nicole Wheadon is all about colour. Not happy with the footwear options in New Zealand, she tracked down a colourful pair of trainers all the way from America.

"It took me ages to find them as they were discontinued," she says. They're fluorescent multi-coloured Asics.

"Coloured shoes especially seem to have especially taken off in the last year," she says. "If I go shopping for sportswear I am instantly attracted to the bright coloured items, but I guess brand [quality] and colour are equal requirements."

For Sarah Kirk, colour in her running gear keeps her "happy and motivated".

"I think it's more acceptable to experiment with colour in your gym clothes than in your everyday wear," she says.

"After a day at work in professional attire mostly consisting of boring black and grey I really look forward to putting on my brightly coloured gym gear."