Preparing for the arrival of spring, the flamboyant fitness fashion species has shed its winter puffer jacket, abandoned cropped hoodies and let toned limbs emerge from hibernation adorned with colourful weighted bracelets.
With lockdowns making timed power walks a rare opportunity to demonstrate style credentials and post social media selfies, wearable weights are emerging as influencer-endorsed status symbols.
Austyn Campbell and Bernadette Fahey with the latest fitness accessory, wearable weights. Credit:Janie Barrett
The weights by US company Bala, in pastel-shades familiar to anyone who endured an aerobics class in the ’80s, are gaining in popularity and visibility in Australia since launching here in November. Steady growth accelerated when Sydney entered lockdown in the third week of June, with sales tripling.
The accessories are part of a national trend, with the bangles infiltrating traditionally basic black wardrobes in Melbourne, which accounts for 30 per cent of sales, while Sydney shuffles ahead with 31 per cent. Blush and lavender are currently the top-selling colours.
“It’s a fusion between fashion and fitness,” said entrepreneur Austyn Campbell, who is heading Bala’s push into the Asia-Pacific region.
“People like the design and the fact that they are aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. The product also lends itself to Instagram with a wide range of colours,” Ms Campbell said.
Natalie Holloway and Max Kislevitz, the married couple responsible for transforming the #fitspo crowd into Jazzercise super heroes, created the retro weights in 2017, targeting a fashion audience, using $US40,000 ($55,066) from crowd-funding site Kickstarter and $US10,000 ($13,764) of their savings.
In 2018, they appeared on the American version of the television series, Shark Tank, attracting an $US800,000 ($1,101,323) investment from panellists tennis star Maria Sharapova and billionaire Mark Cuban.