LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 — Fashion-minded fitness buffs predict the end of black yoga pant tyranny, to be dethroned by bright, bold, attention-grabbing patterns cool enough to be worn from studio to street.

Nike has just unveiled a sleek new pair of tights and matching sports bra featuring animal and wood texture prints, along with polka dots, stripes, and diamonds — not for the timid, mind you. In keeping with the latest fitness fashion trend of the moment — animal prints — the new tights and bra, which make up the Safari Move collection, feature a snow leopard print at the waist and wooden motif on the thighs and ankles.

Australian company Black Milk, along with brands such as Onzie and Teeki, also offers a slew of printed nylon leggings in other styles, from stars and planets to postmodern prints, with more than 17,000 Instagram pics of printed yoga pants online, writes Well+Good NYC, which has spotted the printed pant shift as one of the its top health and wellness trends of next year.

Another animal-printed piece out this autumn is the L’urv Leopard Lunar Jacket, from Carbon38, with pleated shoulder details and quick-drying leopard-print fabric. Or check out the Adidas by Stella McCartney collection of printed leggings, tops, and even shoes.

It’s perhaps due to casual American style, but market reports in the US find that sales of workout gear are skyrocketing, and growing faster than sales of everyday clothing. Workout clothes sales increased 7 per cent to US$31.6 billion (RM9.77 billion) during the 12-month period that ended in August from the same period a year ago, while other clothing saw only a 1 per cent rise. — Afp-Relaxnews