Athleta was founded in 1998 in Petaluma, California to provide female athletes with feminine performance apparel for sports and fitness activities. Initially, Athleta products were sold through catalogs and the web. In 2008, Athleta joined the Gap, Inc. family of brands, and in 2009 launched a new online store alongside Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime. On May 28th, 2010, the very first Athleta "brick and mortar" store opened in Mill Valley.