Sportswear Took Over Your Street-Style Wardrobe
From yoga pants, tennis sneakers to shapeless puffer jackets, just how did activewear become not only the norm today, but the street-style choice for just about everybody in the world? Well, it's a long story of social change, urban adaptation and the introduction of new, improved synthetic fabrics.
Without boring you with all the dates and the deets, here's a rundown of sportswear history and its effect on street-style. Surprisingly, it's been around a lot longer than we thought!
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The Tennis Look: From Courtside To Street
If we had to start, Jane Régny and Suzanne Lengle, prominent Parisian tennis players who designed activewear for women in the 20th century first populised wearing activewear 'out'. Since the 2s, tennis and sportswear was associated with aristocrats, country clubs... people with money basically. Today, elements of vintage tennis looks consistently reference the preppy, resort and collegiate lifestyle of the rich. This prep style emerged during the rise of the British Mod culture in the 60s.
The Perennial Sneaker
Ah the low-rise white sneaker. In the 1970s, Adidas' designed the iconic Stan Smith tennis shoe (strictly for that sport mind you) which eventually relegated to sporting types until they were adopted by high-end designed brands in recent years. By 2014, these shoes now reached coveted cult shoe status with their tell-tale stripes, cushioned ankle, identifiable branded heal and lace-up upper.
Yoga Pants Escaped The Studio
We see that confused expression you're pulling. How did this functional piece of clothing, meant to be worn indoors turned to iconic streetwear? The reasoning: they're so comfortable that no one wants to take them off! Thank goodness yoga pants' precursor, the unfashionable unitard never made it to mainstream and high-end fashion today. Anything with prints, stripes to neon block colours are a must for streetwear today!
Bruce Lee Makes Tracksuits Into Leisure Suits
If you want to believe it, the US argue that sportswear was popularized with the introduction and evolution of stretch styles like nylon shorts, zip-up windbreakers and synthetic anoraks in the 60s. Manufacturers begin colour-coordinating cotton-blended and jersey tracksuits with iconic reds, yellows, blues trimmed with contrasting borders- elements now associated to classic activewear. By the 1970s, Bruce Lee credited bringing the tracksuit into mainstream studio and streetwear fashion. Suddenly, it was all the rage to wear athleticwear tracksuits made from terry cloth, cotton or velour to events that weren't even remotely athletic.
Outdoorwear Gets Urban In The Puffer
We're talking about the quilted puff jacket. Although unfashionable in the 1930s due to its humble roots associated with poorer sportswear designed Eddie Bauer. However, after a run in with hypothermia, the designer vowed he'd make a warmer jacket. Taking inspo from Russian military wear, Bauer sewed warming down into quilted pockets to prevent it sinking to the bottom of the jackets.
Since the 1990s, quilted or puffer jackets were a popular rural staple for equestrians, until New York Hip Hop artists began working them into their fashion repertoire. Today, puff jackets continue to be the universally stylish and practical choice to stave off a cold front while adding an element of urban into an edit.
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