BIRMINGHAM, U.K. - Nov. 30, 2020 - Clothing is of vital importance in every sporting discipline.
Whether it is breathability, comfort or performance, the right sportswear is essential to success.
With this in mind, leading menswear retailer, Charles Tyrwhitt, thought they'd take a look at the transition of sportswear into mainstream fashion and who has helped influence it.
Football
You might see thousands of fans negotiate the streets of your home city on a weekly basis draped in the football shirt of their favourite team. You wouldn't really consider this a full-scale cross-over of sportswear into fashion but rather a display of support. What is fashion, however, is the donning of replica tops with a stylised intent.
Take Snoop Dogg, Drake, and Mike Tyson for example, who've previously been photographed wearing Norwich City, Juventus, and Scotland football shirts, respectively.
Big brands such as Adidas, Nike, and Puma have long fuelled a passion for football wear being picked up by the non-competitive. But players such as George Best, Paul Gascoigne and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name a few, have also had an impact. The one player, however, whose impeccable style still continues to cross the boundaries with ease is former Manchester United man, David Beckham.
Rugby
The rugby shirts of the modern game don't offer quite the same versatility as the older cotton-rich alternatives when it comes to parading the streets. Nowadays, players have their tops made from an intelligent woven polyester material that makes it near-impossible to grab on to, which is perfect for the pitch. But, let's be honest, it isn't as stylish.
Rugby, unlike alternative sports, isn't known for its pristine nature, its suaveness if you will. In fact, it's dirty. Players spend 80 minutes rolling around in the mud—that's says enough, doesn't it?
Well, one of the biggest fashion icons of the 20th century didn't think that the rugby shirt should remain within the try lines – no, a young Mick Jagger saw it as an attractive dresswear choice.
Since then, we've seen the likes of Princess Diana, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber wearing thick, striped cotton shirts. Furthermore, leading retailers such as Charles Tyrwhitt (https://www.ctshirts.com/uk/home) has partnered with England Rugby, in order to make suits made to measure - highlighting the popularity of the sports within fashion. We're confident that if you walk through any university campus across the country, you'll see a plethora of students donning rugby shirts—it is very much in!
So, there you have it, the undeniable association between sports and fashion. Here, we've detailed just a few, but have a think about the others which have crossed over!
