It’s only been relatively recently that Fashion has become such a big part of sport. Before the end of the twentieth century, sportswear was all about functionality, and celebrity endorsements and fashion ranges were very unusual. Now, fashion in sport is big business. And if you want to stay on top of the latest trends, you need to be wearing the coolest gear of the moment. How do you make sure you are hitting the fashion heights when you’re working out though? And what are the looks you should be embracing, as well as those you need to avoid?

Workout gear

It has been one of the major growth areas of the past few years, with exercise clothing being given a glamour makeover that has transformed plain old functional athletic gear into designer fashion, known collectively as activewear. One of the most well-known brands to capitalize and indeed pioneer this trend has been Kate Hudson’s Fabletics range. But there are many others available too.

The idea is to apply design principles to clothing that has been made to perform a specific job. For example, several companies have taken items
such as plain yoga pants that were traditionally designed for maximum comfort and the ability to stretch, so the body was not in any way restricted; they have then developed the fabrics to make them more flattering to the female shape, contouring and enhancing the figure rather than the effect of traditional fabrics clinging to every lump and bump. They have also gone further than this by making their new gear in eye-catching, colorful patterns and designs, so your workout clothing looks bright, appealing and something you really want to wear rather than just having to.

Footwear

This is where the fashion boom all began, with celebrity endorsement and advertising of major sporting brands like Nike and Adidas. Sporting superstars then started having their own ranges, and a new fashion must-have was created. Michael Jordan’s range for Nike has even become highly collectible, with people making a living out of trading pairs of sneakers from this line.

The sports footwear fashion trend shows no sign of disappearing any time soon, and keeping up with it can be quite a challenge in itself! Like anything that’s at the height of a current fashion trend, whether you choose to buy every new design or every hot item is all down to how you perceive the importance of having the latest “in thing.”

If you do want to be one of those with all the hottest gear though, it will definitely cost you. But if you can afford it and it makes you happy, why not? A different way of looking at it is to think about how cool your 2017 sneakers will be in a couple of years’ time. If they follow the Michael Jordan precedent, then they could not only be desirable but also more valuable!

Showing your allegiance

Another major factor in the growth of fashion in sportswear is the clothing that shows what team, club or country you support. The fashion of wearing a shirt with the name of your football or basketball hero on it has been around for a few years now, but it has become a much bigger business in recent times. Teams have several different strips and may change strips a number of times in any season, and fans want the newest designs to show how fervently they support their teams. This means big money for sports clubs, and they have capitalized on this market by promoting extensive ranges of clothing and related items including jackets, hats, baby clothes, accessories, jewelry, and perfume.

Fans love being able to display their passion by having clothes and possessions that feature their favorite teams and players, and the clubs are happy to oblige. It has further expanded from just fans wearing affiliated clothing into their being used as part of a trend for those who aren’t
hardcore followers but like the kind of look and the association provided by these kinds of clothes.

So even if you don’t know your baseball from your ice-hockey, there’s no reason not to wear some of the great designs that sports teams produce.

Doing it yourself

The ability to easily and permanently print onto clothing and other items has resulted in an increased market for personalization. So instead of having a soccer shirt with a player’s number and name on it, you can have one with your name. Or you could have your own tribute to your team, reproduce some kind of retro design, or make up pretty much anything you wanted, and have it printed for you. It gives you an amazing opportunity to show off your own creativity and have precisely what you want on show to the world. It’s also a great idea for gift-giving, and a way of expressing your affection for someone by giving them something that relates to the sports team or star they idolize but that has a personal touch too.

Don’t forget the basics

While all this influence of fashion on sportswear has made it a much more vibrant and desirable form of clothing, don’t forget that if you are buying clothing or footwear for sporting use, it must still be suitable for the exercise you plan to do. If you’re going running, you need wicking fabrics that help your skin breathe and stop you from overheating, and running shoes that fully support your feet and legs and help reduce injuries. If you plan to take up weightlifting, you need to buy the best womens lifting shoes you can afford to ensure you are correctly balanced and have the right level of elevation. In some cases, you could be putting yourself at risk by choosing style over function, so don’t be tempted by an appealing design without checking if the item meets your requirements and the recommended safety standards.

Since fashion took hold of the sporting world, the range of choices, designs, and fabrics has improved immeasurably. If you haven’t yet discovered the pleasures of fashionable sportswear, now is a great time to find the looks that will suit you, so you can start making a statement while you’re working out!