Human biology freshman and owner of Lululemon products, Tamara Stoner-Sleight, said the minimal effort required to put together an outfit draws busy college students in.

"I feel like it's just easier. I feel like waking up in the morning, it's harder to put together a super nice outfit, I'm like, 'Oh, let's just be comfortable,'" Stoner-Sleight said.

Advertising management senior and owner of Lululemon and Alo products, Mya Sobbry, said a mix of factors attracts customers.

"I think the appeal is mostly comfort, but I would also say [it’s] trendy," Sobbry said. "A lot of the Alo clothing, I feel like, has gotten really popular over the last year or two, so a lot of people just follow trends."

The increase in popularity of athleisure, Stoner-Sleight said, is because these brands "make your athletic-wear look cute."

Similarly, Sobbry said the popularity of athleisure stems from its versatility.

"I think it's popular because a lot of the outfits are cute and stylish, and then it's also really comfortable. You can wear it around the house, you can wear it working out, you can wear it to class, so it's really functional," Sobbry said.

However, pre-nursing freshman and owner of Lululemon products Maya Given said the popularity could be amplified through social media.

"I think one, they're comfy, but also, I think social media makes it really popular," Given said. "I don't want to say it's like a status, but I think, like with social media, if you have the newest set and the newest color, then it's like, more popular."

Among Michigan State University students, Lululemon has taken the campus by storm over the years.

However, recently, students have been sporting Alo products often, some even ditching Lululemon completely, including Sobbry.

"...I wear Alo all the time," Sobbry said. "I also wear Lululemon, just not really as much anymore. I feel like [I] kind of transferred more to Alo."

This cycle of popular athleisure brands, with Alo now possibly taking Lululemon’s place, may be due to a combination of factors.

Given said social media plays a large role.

"I think with social media, like, whatever is new and whatever is popular, people think it’s, I don't know, better in a way, when really they're just like leggings and other things," Given said.

Similarly, Sobbry said the influencers with platforms also play a part in the popular athleisure brands cycle.

"I think a lot of it has to do with influencers or micro influencers and celebrities [and] what they're wearing," Sobbry said. "I think everybody kind of gets a little bit sick of wearing the same brand, and then cycles to something new or something that someone else, who is popular, is wearing."

When it comes to the actual athleisure clothing sold by these brands, Given said she personally doesn’t see the "hype" behind these items.

"Honestly, I feel like, if they make you feel confident and good, then yes [it’s worth it], but also, I think any other clothes could do that, to be honest," Given said.

Similarly, Stoner-Sleight said she doesn’t think products from these luxury athleisure brands live up to their price tag.

"I don't really think they're worth the hype," Stoner-Sleight said. "Like, honestly, I've almost stopped buying those brands, and I've moved to just like the dupes on Amazon, or like stuff like that."

For Sobbry, the quality from brands like Alo isn’t necessarily the best.

"Not always, I would say, especially with Alo, I feel like Lululemon has a little bit better quality. Alo, I feel, is more trendy, if you will. Like, a lot of my Alo leggings are not nearly as nice as my Lululemon leggings, and the leggings I'm wearing right now, they're from TikTok Shop, and they're probably, like, $20, and they're better quality than my Alo ones," Sobbry said. "So I don't really think it's worth it. It's more just like for the name or for the style.”

In terms of the popularity cycle of athleisure brands itself, Given said it’s excessive, to an extent.

"I think it's a lot, honestly, like, I don't own the Alo because I was like, 'It's the same stuff,' honestly," Given said. "I think people just want whatever is new and whatever is popular, and I don't agree with the cycle. I mean, honestly, but I do give in, so there's that."

Stoner-Sleight said the trends and the cycle aren’t new.

"I just feel like…it's like the trends [are] just following what other people are doing, like they're really not that special. I mean, clearly you can see so many companies make the same thing, so I feel like it's just about the popularity and the hype, but people don't actually pay attention to how those clothes are just the same thing."

Similarly, Sobbry said she understands both the positives and negatives of the popularity cycle of athleisure brands.

"I think it's kind of dumb sometimes, but I also find myself falling into it as a teenage girl," Sobbry said. "So I think that there are some parts of me that wish that it were a little bit more functional and more about, like, the quality of the brand instead of just the name. But also, I do it too, so I can't be too judgmental."

However, Given said seeing promotional advertisements of popular athleisure brands does catch her eye at times.

"The social media advertisements work because I will see, like, a color that Alo has that Lulu doesn't have, and I'll be like, ‘Oh, I need to go to Alo and get it,' but like, really, yeah, it does work," Given said.