Sports and fashion

Sports style is a style that has adapted sportswear and its elements for everyday urban wear. While maintaining functionality and comfort, such clothing differs from sportswear in fewer details, materials, and gender differences. The sports style of clothing is very close to the casual style, sometimes merging directly with it. Translated from English, sportswear in American terminology means "casual clothing". 

Sports clothing is essentially the very first and ancient style in fashion in the understanding of its modern interpretation as a stylistic direction. Since the First Olympic Games in 776 BC. e., the time of the Hellenic civilization, which took place in the city of Olympia in southern Greece in honor of the god Zeus, a short Greek tunic with slits on the sides is known. Sportswear is born from sportswear and evolves with it. From tennis, “T-shirt”, pleated skirts, shorts, short skirts migrated to our wardrobe. From golf came a new sports cut of trousers (quick dry running shorts), from skating - "leggings" made of lycra.

In May 2001, Christophe Lemaire, head of womenswear at Christian Lacroix, became creative director of sportswear company Lacoste, placing Lacoste in a strong position in the world of fashion. Combining his own contemporary style with classics such as a tennis skirt, polo shirt or jumper, Christophe Lemaire has made sure that the company's style becomes a favorite casual casual for brand fans around the world. The brand deliberately distances itself from overly fashionable items, achieving a balance between beauty and functionality, creating an image of modern clothing. In 1951, a Lacoste tennis shirt imported from France became an instant sales champion in the United States.

New York School of Design alumnus Donna Karan brought the leotard into fashion. The practical luxury of freely combinable sportswear, mostly made in stretch fabrics and dark colors from Donna Karan, has captivated admirers of her brand all over the world. The sporty style became the philosophy of her "streetwear line" DKNY (Donna Karan New York). Norma Kamali was the first designer to use cotton jersey baseball clothing for high fashion.

On that significant day, when Jane Fonda first encouraged viewers to work on her body from the cinema screens, a new fashion trend appeared. Aerobics brought into fashion many of the clothing designs of the mid-1980s and brought the figure to new fashion standards. This contributed to the fact that sportswear has gradually become one of the main elements of everyday wardrobe.

The symbiosis of fashion and sports has brought benefits to both areas. Karan and Kamali began to combine stretch with luxurious fabrics. The Italian firms Prada and Miu-Miu produced climbing suits and equipment that were snapped up by outdoor enthusiasts. Prada Sport, a popular sportswear line, is one of the many designer labels created to profit from the sportswear trade.

Fans of the Rolling Stones know that their idol Mick Jaeger even went down the aisle in Adidas. Of course, young people imitate their favorite idols and wear what cult musicians “bequeathed” to them. Leading sneaker manufacturers strive to get as close to haute couture as possible. Some time ago, Karl Lagerfeld remade Reebok sneakers into Chanel, and Gucci solemnly presented leather boots based on the classic All Stars sneakers. Thus, shoes that were already far from sports, thanks to high fashion, moved away from it even further. Sneakers are now worn with a tutu dress, they are decorated with silk laces, embroidered with beads.

“All this testifies to the fact,” Elina Androsova concludes, “that in modern society, sport and fashion go hand in hand, not contradicting each other, but having long ago turned into a comfortable everyday urban casual, so loved by our contemporaries – residents of huge metropolitan areas. Silk dress with sneakers or jeans with stilettos - "easy"! The ability to mix and match different styles to create “non-boring” dynamic looks manifests the modern style of wearing big city clothes. Now any "pure" style of clothing is supposed to be "diluted". And elements of sports style cope best with this task. ”

Of course, it cannot be said that the catwalks are filled with sportswear, but, for example, for the current season, many designers, such as Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone, Akris, Lacoste, Isabel Marant, Kenzo, Lanvin and, to a certain extent, Victoria Beckham, Haider Ackerman and Gareth Pug have used sports elements in their collections. Sportswear has been in fashion for quite some time now. Light, fresh, it has its roots in the functionality of sportswear. Feminist historians would like to link the emancipation of women to the deconstruction of fashion. But rather, the point is to look for new, sexier things that would emphasize the multitasking of a woman who wants to feel confident, comfortable and fresh - all at once.

The relevance of sports style is really confirmed by global clothing manufacturers. Today there is actually a global trend to popularize sports and everything connected with it. Running, playing various games, doing fitness, leading an active lifestyle is now becoming not only more and more popular, but also really fashionable in every sense of the word. Glossy magazines regularly talk about sports trends, make fashion shoots with a sports focus, stylists boldly mix sportswear with everyday outfits, and designers “release” models on the catwalks in sneakers, polo dresses and sports overalls.

Naturally, the expert points out, these trends also affect the market for sports and "near-sports" goods, which is growing noticeably. More and more stores are opening in Russia, sports brands are expanding their lines, attracting famous designers such as Stella McCartney for Adidas, Puma by Alexander McQueen, etc. to cooperate. Premium sports brands such as Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren and others are strengthening their positions in the market and offer real sports fashion, demonstrating their designer collections inspired by sports themes at New York Fashion Week. “Fashion and sport are not just compatible, but can be integrated into each other, creating everyday style and even lifestyle, she concludes. – I really like the idea of ​​mixing different styles as such. It's not just beautiful or stylish, it gives a mood, destroys the framework, removes inappropriate stiffness and boredom not only from the wardrobe, but from our everyday life. 

At Lacoste, the expert says, this idea has become the slogan of a new stage in the development of the brand - the Unconventional Chic campaign (literally "Unconventional Chic"), launched last year, encourages us to look at the world wider and freer, look elegant without sacrificing comfort, set personal priorities above the rules that the fashion world dictates to us. “I like to combine a floor-length skirt with a white polo, wear T-shirts and sneakers with jackets. This sporty chic style is ideal for an active girl, combining beauty, convenience, comfort and fashion trends in one look”.