A new women’s fitness clothing store has opened in downtown Landrum called Athleisure at 205 E. Rutherford St. The store will hold a grand opening on Dec. 9 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Sabrina Ford, owner, said she has always been an athlete. She opened the store because she noticed a trend in people wanting to be more comfortable when it comes to their clothing styles, ditching the suits and ties for a more casual look.

“I moved to the area because of my mother. She relocated here about a year and a half ago,” Ford explained. “We’re a military family so I didn’t really get to spend a lot of time with any of my family members on a regular basis. It was very appealing to me to have some time with my mom now that she’s retired.”

Ford added she was a track runner and swimmer at Virginia Tech and after graduating she went on to do some boxing and bodybuilding contests. In 2011, Ford said she placed second in North Carolina in a bodybuilding contest.

“My passion for sports has always been there, but I don’t feel that I’m necessarily just for athletes,” Ford said. She said she prefers performance-based clothing that benefits an athlete, and that an athlete would be looking for in clothing. She wants to appeal to a larger range of people who want to be comfortable going from a physical activity like the gym right onto the street.

The store has clothes geared towards athletes from brands like LuLu Lemon, Onzie, Gottex and a few brands that give back to charity. Ford added her mother, Valerie Burgess, does homemade crafts like leather bound journals and collages that she sells in the store.

“My feeling is that we’re long past the days where we wear suits in public and we dress up, because the only time I ever feel like I dress up is when I go to church,” Ford said. “I have something for everyone, and I definitely have a little more of a tendency to appeal towards athletes because that’s my base. But I feel like I’ve opened a store for everyone.”

The store is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Ford said she would be open later after Thanksgiving weekend on Fridays until 8 p.m. to take advantage of the holiday season as part of Landrum’s moonlight shopping going on through December.

Visit Ford’s website at www.athleisure.shoptiques.com or find her on Facebook at 205athleisurefitnesswear to check out the store’s inventory.