Remember when everyone you knew started investing in Korean skincare and, suddenly, started walking around with the kind of glow once reserved for pregnant women and newborn infants? For eons, Koreans have (rightfully and deservedly) cornered the market for facial products — and thankfully for the rest of us, they are now ready to embark into new territory.
Enter Stretch Your Story, the first Korean performance wear brand to launch in the United States. Promising to maintain the same quality of Korean excellence, precision, and discipline that your favorite skincare brands have become known for, Stretch Your Story plans to do for personal fitness and wellness what labels like COSRX and Sulwhasoo once did for those unforgiving pimples, visible smile lines, and heavy undereye bags.
Engineered in Korea, the brand wants to help you build “a new uniform for evolution,” and has done so by designing garments that are meant to become staples in your everyday wardrobe, whether you are going on a jog in the park or running to the grocery store to buy eggs and milk.
At this, you may find yourself asking what separates SYS from the pack. After all, plenty of brands have capitalized on the “athleisure” movement, designing workout clothes that they claim should work in everyday scenarios. But Stretch Your Story is thinking beyond this. Guided by principles like self-discipline, self-evolution, and self-expression, SYS believes in the power of a Pulse State, which is achieved once the pillars of mind, body, and self are in full alignment. To reach this synthesis, the brand operates with a holistic outlook on how we dress ourselves, hoping to inspire and motivate us all to get out and move. Stretch Your Story’s clothes aren’t just to wear; the brand is actually thinking more broadly about how clothes can functionally fit into — and improve — our everyday lives.
And unlike other contemporary activewear brands, who either focus on the technical aspects of fitness gear at the expense of style or do the opposite by privileging outward aesthetics above practicality, Stretch Your Story looks at both sides of the equation in tandem, merging form and function to craft pieces that are as fashion-forward as they are utilitarian. This is performance wear for the person who doesn’t want to choose between looking good and feeling good.
And who wouldn’t look and feel good in these garments? Flip through Stretch Your Story’s already expansive list of offerings and you’ll find that they’ve covered bases top to bottom, whether you’re seeking out a casual graphic hoodie or a slightly dressier half-zip sweater, a comfortable pair of jogger leggings or a flowy yoga jumpsuit. They have tank tops that can easily be worn under a blazer for a business meeting and cropped short sleeve t-shirts that are perfect for an afternoon spent wandering the streets with your friends. The garments, which are made in extremely lightweight, breathable fabrics, are designed to feel like a second-skin.
So the next time you need to stop by the office for a meeting on your way to an early-evening cardio session at the gym, don’t bother packing a change of clothes — Stretch Your Story has already made sure that you can get from one place to the other with no problem.
This article is a collaboration between Stretch Your Story and PAPER.
