Women have started to break the glass ceiling in sports, and in turn, have begun to allow their personalities to shine through their fashion. While women have been dedicated to athletics for years, only recently have they gained the recognition they deserve. After the NCAA Women’s March Madness scandal in 2020, the treatment of women in sports received a much-needed facelift… and in return, their players are stepping up and showing out.
Angel Reese by Sarah Steir, via Vogue
Athletic Elegance: Female Athletes Shine on the Red Carpet
As women start to dominate these predominantly, and prehistorically, male fields, they are introducing the idea that femininity does not equal weakness. Pictured above, Angel Reese, who played basketball at LSU and Maryland University, and is now professionally, for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association, is demonstrating that although she has the capability and capacity to dominate on the court, she is still able to express her feminine side.
Cameron Brink, via The Spun
Her fellow athletes who debuted their more effeminate sides at the WNBA draft included Caitlyn Clark and Cameron Brink, Clark in a full Prada look and Brink in an ethereal Balmain dress. Throughout history, it has been a common stereotype that just because women can dress and make themselves up, then it automatically means that they are not capable of achieving things of the same caliber as their male counterparts.
Performance Perfected: Elite Women's Sportswear
This stigma is also reflected in the uniforms that the women wear. Oftentimes sportswear clothing lines create a double standard in the clothes that they produce for women versus the clothes that they produce for men. In female athletic wear, designers often opt for a more fashionable route while compromising the functionality of the piece, whereas men’s is just the opposite. As we progress as a society, we need to realize that fashion and athletics are not running opposite one another, but are intertwined. Female uniforms are often designed to be skirts or dresses, in tight fitting material. Not only does this sexualize the athlete, but it limits her ability to perform at her best, perpetuating the stereotype that men play better because they are men. However, as time goes by, more and more designers are starting to design for the woman inside the piece, not their idealized version. Brands like Nike and Athleta corner the market for functional and fashionable pieces for female athletes.
Serena Williams, via PopSugar
For years, female athletes such as Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, and Brandi Chastain have been speaking out about how women, fashion, and sports, intersect. All-star tennis player, Serena Williams, specifically, has made a major impact on the fashion/sports industry. She has collaborated with many brands to create functional stylish tennis pieces that break the gender norms that are currently in place. Throughout her entire career, she has been seen as an icon, not just for her otherworldly skills, but for the way she integrates fashion into her sport. This can also be said for soccer player Brandi Chastain. After she won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, she removed her shirt revealing her sports bra underneath. While this was critiqued by some, it was a gesture beloved by others, as it was seen that she was challenging the traditional expectations of female athlete’s attire.
via Athleta
So many times people hear fashion and automatically assume that it does not correlate to sports. The two industries are not foes or enemies. The sooner people recognize the possibilities that can be created when conjoining the two, the better. Fashion is not strictly feminine but in that same vein, being feminine is not a bad thing. Just because a person identifies as female does not mean that they are only capable of putting on a pretty dress and calling it a day. Fashion is just as much a means of expression as a style of serve in tennis or a walk-up song in baseball. Fashion is an athlete's friend.
By Abigial Moynihan