Step aside brown, orange, and navy, there’s a new color that’s trending for fall and it’s perhaps the most unlikely color – lavender. 

Light purple is absolutely everywhere for fall athleticwear and athleisure, from tennis dresses and pleated skirts, to fitted tanks and jackets. Lavender is the hot color of the season. And I must admit, I’m absolutely puzzled by this choice. 

Looking at the pros, Parris Todd wore alo’s latest lilac collection at the Veolia Bristol Open, a matching skirt and tank top set paired with lime green details. 

Jorja Johnson and Tyra Hurricane Black wore lilac athletic dresses from Bo+Tee. 

Hayden Patriquin and Ben Johns wore some lavender colored arm sleeves from JOOLA to match their mixed doubles partners. 

And Anna Leigh Waters debuted a new lavender FILA set at the Veolia Cincinnati Showcase.

Of course, the pros look amazing. Lilac stands out beautifully against the green and blue pickleball courts, but the lilac combinations with green, yellow, and white feel like a look that’s perfect for spring, not the middle of September. 

As I walked through the mall recently, I was surprised to see lavender was a popular color in all the fall athleticwear collections from lululemon, Aerie, Athleta, Nike, Victoria’s Secret, and Old Navy.

I can’t help but wonder, why? Lilac is a quintessential spring color. Like red and green around Christmastime, it’s a go-to color that comes back around every year, but never in the fall. 

Seeing that lavender’s trending, I can’t help but think that the fashion decision makers thought about Miranda Priestly’s memorable quote from the Devil Wears Prada: “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.”

So they shook things up and brought in lavender for the fall. Yes, groundbreaking. But I find it incredibly odd. 

Personally, I don’t know how I feel about lavender in the fall. 

I don’t live by traditional fashion rules like “No white shoes after Labor Day.” I think especially if you live in warmer climates, you rock spring and summer trends year-round because it’s too hot to wear trench coats and knee-high boots. And when it comes to athleticwear, there’s a lot more room for creativity and experimenting with bold color combinations that would probably be too much in streetwear.  

Honestly, I’m not against lavender in the fall, it just feels like an odd choice both in streetwear and athleticwear. Light purple is such a springtime color, and to see people wearing it when they’re drinking pumpkin spice lattes feels out of place. Instead, they should be drinking some iced strawberry matchas and planning their hot girl summers in those kinds of purple fits. 

So, if you’re just as confused about the lilac trend in athleticwear as me, I recommend trying out more classic fall colors like espresso brown, burgundy, navy, and any shade of orange. 

But like always, wear what you want. And I've been a big fan of lavender for half the year. Moving into the cold-weather months, though, I say leave the lavender behind for spring and invest in some timeless navy athleticwear pieces for your pickleball attire. 

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