There was a time when the worlds of sports and fashion could not have been further apart. Anyone interested in the latest trends didn’t really inhabit the same place as those who followed sports and wore their favorite team’s merchandise.
But, just like online betting has become more popular and mainstream, so has sportswear. The blurring of the lines between it and fashion has produced a multi-billion dollar industry where social influencers and celebrities of the day are able to wear much more relaxed outfits and still be deemed fashionable.
There is so much crossover between fashion and sports now that it seems as though we will never return to how it was before. But why are people buying more sportswear than ever before? And how did we get to this point?
Comfort
There are very obvious reasons why people like sportswear – and comfort usually comes right at the top of the list. That doesn’t necessarily explain why sportswear has become fashionable. But with so much sportswear being sold, that is sure to rub off on what is considered stylish.
One thing to understand is that all this sportswear is not exclusively for doing sports. Most of the clothing bought across the world is just for comfort rather than for exercise. It is this feeling that these clothes can be worn at any time that has boosted sales and influenced trends.
Exercise
There are, of course, plenty of people that buy and wear sportswear to play sports in. This is clothing that is designed to help athletes and sportsmen, and women train and compete in comfort. As exercise has become more of a part of our everyday lives, so has the choice to wear more sportswear.
Although this uptake in physical exercise has been going on for decades now, there was a recent spike with the COVID lockdowns imposed around the world. More people took up exercise as a way to alleviate boredom and keep physically active when there was very little else to do.
Style on the Street
So we can understand why more people are buying and wearing sportswear. But that is not, in itself, a reason why there is more acceptance within fashion circles now. Although sports stars have always inspired their fans, it was more the adoption of the clothing by music stars – especially in hip-hop – that kickstarted a crossover effect.
Hip Hop has become one of the biggest subcultures on the planet, and the fashion of the music genre has begun to influence fashion. From the Adidas shoes of Run D.M.C. to Kanye West’s own creations, it is this kind of sportswear that has become almost a uniform of the fans. As hip-hop has grown, so has its influence on fashion trends.
Celebrity Athletes
People have always looked up to sports stars, but with the rise of celebrity athletes, their influence has gone way beyond just the fans of the teams they play for. The front covers of fashion magazines are just as likely to feature a sports star than a supermodel these days.
Lots of money is spent on fashion advertising campaigns for sportswear brands featuring the sports celebrities of the day. When reports of what David Beckham or Cam Newton are wearing are just as eagerly read as how they have performed on the field, you know that the sportswear brands they have deals with will reap the rewards.
Range of Prices
So we have seen that there is sportswear that is not really designed to be used for playing sports – and comes with a more ‘fashion’ cost too. But one of the reasons why there has been a crossover at all is that there is an almost universal demographic for this kind of clothing.
It is exactly this universal appeal that produces a wide range in the price of garments. There is undoubtedly a high fashion element of sportswear these days. But the vast majority is far more affordable. Combining that affordability with the comfort of the clothes and the acceptance of the wearing of sportswear in a wide variety of social situations, there is surely no surprise at the popularity of these clothes.
Figure 2 Sportswear is just another genre of fashion
Advances in Technology
Part of the reason for the longevity of sportswear is that designers are continually coming up with more technologically advanced clothes. We have looked at the comfort element of sweatpants and the like, but there is also a very large market for sportswear that is specifically designed to help the wearer.
Professional athletes will obviously be keen to try anything that gives them that little bit extra when it comes to competing. But a large part of the sportswear market is down to the aspirational selling points. You may not be a top athlete – or even an athlete at all – but by wearing the same clothes as your heroes, you will be able to better yourself. Or so the thought process goes.
The Future of Sportswear and Fashion
There seems to be no end in sight for the crossover of sportswear and fashion. With the emergence of sports-influenced fashion designs, we have seen clothes that are more comfortable and accessible than they used to be. At the same time, there has been a convergence thanks to sports designers wanting to be bolder with their clothes, as they become part of the everyday wear away from a pure sports arena.
In recent years there have been many more collaborations between up-and-coming creative design agencies and big-name sports brands, teams, and clubs. This reflects the way that sports merchandise has become a strand of fashion in its own right. It seems as though there will only be more of these kinds of projects as there certainly isn’t any decline in the popularity of the products.
With sportswear encompassing so many different styles and price points, its capacity to remain a popular and fashionable strand of clothing looks like increasing, if anything. There will be some negativity for the cheapest of sportswear clothes – especially with dubious industry processes – but the styles will still be seen in the more responsibly sourced items. Sportswear is basically here to stay – and the fashion world has already accepted that.