What is sportswear? Simply the contraction of two words (“sport” and “wear,” meaning “to wear” in English) to refer to “sports or sport-style clothing,” according to the Encyclopaedia Universalis. This fashion concept is part of the athleisure trend, which aims to wear sports clothing (jogging pants, sweatshirts, bras…) in everyday life, outside of sports practice.

Sportswear made its appearance in Europe after World War II. The constraints related to sports practice at the time were felt; new equipment was then designed so that athletes would be more comfortable in their clothing and no longer hindered in their performance.
In 1920, the Houses of Chanel and Patou became pioneers of a trend that would become a statement in fashion: they launched “casual” fashion and showcased in their shows pullovers, vests, and other sweatshirts that liberated women from their constraints – and from their corsets. Patou, for example, dressed tennis player Suzanne Lenglen in his “couture” tennis shorts to disregard the long, then pleated skirts of the time. Sportswear continued to develop further in the 1950s: sports clothing was then perceived as elegant pieces (crocodile polo shirts, dresses, and white “tennis” sneakers…) and continued to contribute to the emancipation of women. During this period, new sports such as surfing, skateboarding, jogging, and fitness emerged, encouraged by the arrival of Lycra, an innovative material that is as comfortable as it is elastic for creating suitable clothing. In the 1970s, sports practice became democratized, notably through other sociocultural trends, such as hip-hop; Nike moved the sneaker away from basketball courts to make it a casual fashion item, and the tracksuit, initially worn to cover sportswear before competition, became a staple for the fashionistas of the time. However, beyond sports, “fashion designers deconstruct and adapt the traditional image of sportswear to better suggest a certain ideal of youth and vitality in everyday life,” according to British author and fashion consultant Marnie Fogg.

So, is sportswear simply a lesson in style, or a true fountain of youth?