This jump into activewear was bound to happen: After all, long before Zara, fast-fashion brands like Forever 21 and H&M have added activewear to the mix. Plus, Zara is all about giving customers what they want , based on qualitative and quantitative data. And the surge of athleisure in the past year is hard to tune out. (Just days ago, the retailer came out with its controversial gender-neutral collection , which has a decidedly sporty aesthetic, complete with sweatshirts and cotton T-shirts.) Some items in Zara's dedicated Gymwear section — like swimwear and slide sandals, and basics of all kinds — already existed in its inventory, in fact. Now, it's just consolidated into one convenient section, more outwardly sporty in nature and with a few motivational phrases thrown in.