How Vuori Is Thriving in Women’s Activewear While Rivals Stall

Despite starting out as a men’s-only brand, Vuori’s women’s line is quickly gaining traction with female consumers, data shows

In a sea of leggings (and debate over whether Gen Z is ditching them for baggier fits), activewear brands are scrambling to stay relevant. TikTok trends burn fast, influencer partnerships churn even faster and even Lululemon has shown signs of slowing as competition stiffens.

Against that backdrop, Vuori is charting a different path. Instead of chasing quick-hit virality, the California-born activewear brand has leaned on community and premium quality. It’s an approach that is paying off with measurable growth, according to new data from brand tracker Tracksuit.

The platform surveys a nationally representative sample of U.S. consumers each month and maps how they move through the funnel from awareness to consideration, investigation and preference. For Vuori, the platform pulled from its women’s athleisure dashboard covering February to July 2025.

The results show Vuori steadily gaining ground: consideration rose three percentage points to 10% (~10.4 million people), investigation climbed three points to 8% (~8.2 million) and preference grew two points to 2% (~1.8 million).

“Vuori’s strong growth shows that consumers are increasingly valuing premium, quality athleisure brands that make clothes that feel good on,” Tracksuit co-founder and chief operating officer Matt Herbert told Athletech News, adding that the recent data translated to millions of new consumers moving through the funnel.

Herbert noted that Vuori’s awareness-to-consideration conversion sits at 60%, essentially on par with the competitor average of 59%. He said the data shows a highly competitive and crowded category, with consumers weighing multiple brands and Vuori earning a solid place in that set.

Vuori’s rise is also reflected in its business trajectory. Founded in 2015 by Joe Kudla in a classic garage-to-riches story, the brand has grown into one of the fastest-scaling players in activewear. Late last year, it secured an $825 million investment led by General Atlantic and Stripes, pushing its valuation to $5.5 billion, and most recently added former Nike executive Andrew Campion to its board.

Gen Z Shifts the Rules

According to Herbert, the real story is not just Vuori’s metrics but how younger consumers are changing the category itself.

“Gen Z is reshaping expectations by placing a premium on trendy and authentic brands that they can trust, foster relevancy and make clothes that feel good on,” he said.

Tracksuit data points to Nike as an example, where 61% of Gen Z consumers say Nike is a quality brand, 39% are willing to pay a premium for that quality and 43% say Nike is trendy. For Herbert, it highlights the mix of emotional resonance and functionality driving Gen Z purchases.

“The biggest shift in Gen Z shopping behavior is this emphasis on meaningful connection,” Herbert said. “They increasingly favor brands that align with their values and provide products that deliver both trending styles and lasting quality. For athleisure brands, success now depends not just on what they sell, but on how they make Gen Z consumers feel and engage.”

Vuori is not the only brand making moves. Herbert points out that Alo is also on the rise. From February to July 2025, Alo’s awareness climbed three percentage points to 22% (~22 million people), consideration jumped four points to 15% (~13.6 million), investigation increased two points to 12% (~11.6 million) and preference grew one point to 2% (~2 million).

Going Green is Not a Silver Bullet

Although sustainability often headlines brand campaigns, Herbert finds it’s not a huge selling point among shoppers.

“According to Tracksuit’s data around perceptions of brands in the women’s athleisure wear category, sustainability does not actually appear to be a top driver for consumers,” he said.

“Instead, factors like durability, trust and how the clothes are perceived strongly influence consideration, preference and usage. Being perceived as ‘is for people like me’ has a strong impact on customers; in fact, they are 2.4 times more likely to convert from awareness to consideration when they associate the brand with this statement. Trust in the brand and clothes that deliver comfort and quality also meaningfully drive conversion.”

Do Brands Need to Go All-in On Womenswear?

The growth of Vuori’s women’s business has fueled its momentum, but Herbert cautions that expansion is not a requirement for success.

“Following the post-pandemic casualization movement, the rampant growth of the athleisure market has shown no signs of slowing,” he said. “Women account for ~65% of the athleisure market. Interestingly enough, Vuori actually started as a men’s first brand, launching with elevated gear built for versatility and performance, then expanded to women’s during the pandemic with comfort-first styles.”

That being said, Herbert notes that expansion into women’s lines is not a requirement for growth. Instead, he says it is about knowing your core audience and creating an experience that aligns with your brand’s values.

“Brands that maintain a single-gender or a niche focus can still thrive if they deliver exceptional quality, cultivate a loyal community and tell a compelling story in alignment with their brand’s values,” he said. “Growth comes from relevance, authenticity and meeting consumers where they are, not just from broadening your product assortment.”

Complementing its gains, Vuori is accelerating its physical expansion, surpassing the 100-store milestone. Recent flagship openings in London and Shanghai will be followed by launches in Seoul and Beijing by year’s end. By the close of 2026, Vuori says it will add a “significant number” of stores outside the U.S.