Fashion and Media student Bridget Devine joins us again to share her latest must have sportwear items, this month she takes on the streets.
In the midst of New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, streetstyle is just as relevant as the runways themselves. Sportswear began to gain popularity in the early 90’s as a form of streetwear rather than just for sports activities, continuing as a style worn globally by almost everybody. From New York Hip Hop fashion to California surf culture, sportswear has exploded as a way of dressing for comfort and fashion in our everyday clothes. Think wearing leggings or sweats to grab a coffee, or tennis trainers as a city shoe on the way to work, sportswear has become an essential part of our everyday wardrobe without even consideration of its sole purpose. So begs the question, is anyone still wearing sportswear as streetwear anymore?
New York and London Fashion Weeks say no. Many show attendees this year are wearing anything but that, predominantly heels, monochrome suits, mini dresses, checked skirts, trench coats and all things glamour and denim. In contrast to Fashion Weeks from previous years when cool comfort came in the form of trendy sweats dressed up with a mini handbag or stiletto heels. You may wonder why the sudden change?
With the growth of lockdown, sales of sportswear, sweats and all things matching gym sets grew too. People wanted comfy loungewear for Work from Home and sportswear styles for at home workouts and al fresco exercise. But now fashion is still seeing the recovery from this huge shift in dressing and lifestyle, thus people are straying away from sportswear and enjoying the process of dressing up for events in smarter clothing.
Yet with that being said, recent trends that are more popular with Gen Z and Millennials include sportswear in everyday work and weekend outfits. For example, the comeback of the Football Shirt from the 90’s. Nike and Adidas have both released several football shirts in their new collections which are being styled as streetwear by both men and women. As well as many opting for vintage sports shirts which add a perfect touch of sporty, retro style to a basic everyday outfit. Adidas in particular are having the biggest comeback for street style with not only their football shirts but also the classic 3-stripe track shorts and tennis trainers. It would be impossible to go out in the city today and not see a classic pair of Adidas Spezial’s, Gazelle’s or Samba’s strolling around the shops and cafes.
With the shift from Work from Home to back in the office, for most vocations smart suit dressing isn’t essential, thus more modern, laid back office uniforms are being carried by these sporty streetwear styles. The most familiar for women would be the combination of a loose, patterned midi-dress with a pair of tennis trainers such as the Veja Campo Trainer or the Adidas Stan Smith Court Shoe. While the men might opt for a classic pair of Adidas Gazelle Shoes or Nike Blazer 77’ Shoes, styled with straight leg Levi’s and a polo or t-shirt.
A more unique outfit based around these sports styles could really stand out so personally I would opt for a colourful Adidas 3-stripe shoe, long sports socks, a denim mini skirt and an
oversized football jersey.
To create a perfect work or weekend ready sportswear outfit that caters to a smarter environment, try swapping the football jersey for a classic white shirt and the denim for either track shorts or trousers that provide more coverage for cooler days but still the same amount of comfort.
Either way, whenever catering to various trends remember to invest in pieces that do not only look good, but feel good to wear and don’t stray too far from your capsule wardrobe. For example the beauty of the tennis trainers is; not only can they be worn for all occasions, work or recreational, they can also be a great option for low impact or flat terrain sports such as walking, pilates, tennis (obviously) and netball or basketball – depending on your level of ability. For more extreme or higher levels of these sports I would advise getting a shoe specific to the sport but for most people these different activities just go to show the versatility of streetwear shoes and styles.
Overall it seems that sportswear is trending more than ever on the streetwear front, depending on the occasion or outing of course, it is likely to continue to gain popularity this season so keep your eyes peeled for jerseys, sweats and the 3-stripes on the pavements this month. Here are my top picks if you are looking for new pieces for your sport style streetwear wardrobe…
