Retail Experts: Athleisure Wear Is Out, Jeans Are Coming Back

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The days of running errands in yoga pants may be over.

Retail experts say a new trend is taking over.

Edwin Olvera of Jersey City was out and about Wednesday afternoon in his sweatpants and sweatshirt, head to toe in Athleisure wear, a uniform of comfort he said he will never give up.

"As long as I'm comfy, you know? I never really follow trends or anything like that. I got slippers on. I'll go anywhere in these bad boys," Olvera told CBS2's Meg Baker.

But experts say the days of yoga pants, leggings and tapered sweat pants may be numbered.

"When there is something successful, like Lululemon, and everybody copies it and dilutes the brand. Originally, it was kind of unique to have yoga pants, things like that. But now everybody is doing it, so it is not as unique as it used to be," Jordon Goodman said.

Goodman, with moneyanswers.com, said retailers are responding to consumers.

"What's really hot instead are jeans. Denim has really come back very strongly. Sales are up quite sharply," Goodman said.

Shoppers at the Woodbridge Center Mall had mixed opinions on going out in public in leggings or sweat pants.

"Well, I love to wear my stretch pants. I'm actually wearing sweatpants," said Yolanda Mesa of Plainfield.

"I honestly feel like the Spandex pants should have never come into a style. At my size, I especially feel that. Jeans will always be, forever be, the stuff of fashion," added Doreen DeLorenzo of Woodbridge.

"I haven't seen any leggings at all, so I'm going to have to say that jeans and boots are in," another woman said.

Some of the popular Athleisure brands are taking a hint and expanding into outerwear and business casual wear. Most people CBS2's Baker spoke to said if it's comfortable they will wear it.

Retailers say fashion boot sales were strongly up 9 percent, as people buy them to pair with jeans.