Dive Brief:

• As other brands and retailers bet on athleisure, Express's DTC brand UpWest launched a new activewear line, Go.
• The collection features items like an open-back tank top and a bike short for women as well as a colorblock T-shirt and a full-zip jacket for men, according to a company announcement.
• The clothing was designed with wicking properties, four-way stretch fabrics, without tags and with mesh, Kelsey Vitullo, UpWest's design director, said in a statement. The clothing also has QR codes that unlock yoga sessions, meditations and other interactive customer experiences, Vitullo said.

Dive Insight:

Following the launch of UpWest in 2019, the direct-to-consumer brand appears to be growing.

Express CEO Tim Baxter noted in the company's Q4 earnings call that UpWest, which features loungewear, casual clothing and sleepwear for men and women, grew by 41% compared to 2020. The company this year is planning to open nine new stores for the brand, which already operates seven locations. UpWest has also begun a wholesale business and is considering international expansion, Baxter said.

"Go was created to motivate and inspire good for ourselves, others & the planet. It all stemmed from the purpose of offering comfort, versatility, and sustainability for our customers' fast-paced, hybrid lives," Vitullo said in a statement. "For us at UpWest, comfort trumps all. Offering wear-all-day, versatile pieces that were born from the idea of loungewear inspired by performance wear, is the perfect addition to the UpWest collection."

As dresscodes, particularly for the office, have become more casual, athleisure has grown in popularity. Express joins other brands, including Allbirds, Thinx, ThirdLove and Vuori, debuting activewear collections.