Tank tops and hoodies influence sports fashion

By Manja Gress Jan 12, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - Tight, colourful and form-fitting are three short descriptions that sum up the current trend in sportswear.

The racks are full of chic fleece pullovers, hoodies and jackets designed to 'breathe' - all very practical items. But designers also aim to let sporty people show off their fit bodies. They believe people who work out in the gym or pursue a sport as a hobby needn't dress shabbily.

More and more sportswear is inspired by streetwear. Recreational athletes don't have to sacrifice comfort. That's because manufacturers are keeping in mind the functionality of the garment as well as the design. While functional features take care of important things like ventilation, casual tailoring offers freedom in how the garment moves.

'Current sportswear styles are a lot more form-fitting than the styles of just a few years ago, especially women's sportswear,' said fashion consultant Andreas Rose. This has to do with the way people who are sporty feel about themselves: They put effort into shaping their bodies and they want to show it, said Alexander Rademacher of Igedo Company in Duesseldorf, a fashion trade show organizer.

But not everyone likes the trend. Women more or less embrace it, favouring form-fitting garments such as tank tops, leggings and tightly fitting sweatpants with fancy seams down the sides, an elastic waistband with a drawstring and cuffs at the ankle. Men on the other hand still tend to wear baggy sweatpants and other loosely fitting garments, Rose said. Runners who wear tight leggings are the exception.

When it comes to colours, sportswear makers are still very conventional, said Ralf Stefan Beppler, a trend expert with an annual trade show in Germany for wholesalers in outdoor sportswear and equipment. But the colours are not boring or stuffy. Men and women are wearing conspicuous, bright colours, including pink, light-blue and turquoise, said Beppler. In outdoor sportswear red, orange and various shades of yellow are available because they are signal colours.

Many manufacturers also have brightly coloured and patterned garments as well as the so-called two-in-one shirt in their fitness studio clothing lines. The two-in-one shirt typically has a top in another colour sewn on the inside, said Rose. Others similar shirts are printed with photographs and other images.

Outdoor sports require warmer clothing. Hooded pullovers - known as hoodies - are popular as are hooded jackets that look just as casual. Running shirts with matching warm caps are another example. Sportswear labels also are using bright colours such as orange, yellow and red. Adidas and Nike brands can be found in pink, Asics in highlighter yellow.

On ski slopes the 'parrot look' is popular among skiers and snowboarders alike. The clothing is very colourful and includes shrill neon colours that were popular in the '80s, said Beppler. Very brightly coloured caps are being worn to contrast with the rest of the outfit.

These splashes of two or three contrasting colours in one outfit are typically found on the outside layer of clothing. Slowly the same colours and patterns are making their way to sportswear worn off the slopes. This so-called colour blocking migrated from street clothes to fitness clothing last summer, said Rademacher. 'Above all, colour combinations with black are preferred: black and red, black and pink, and black and orange,' he said.

Despite all the colours and snug fits, sportswear must be functional, said Beppler. After all, no runner wants to end up in sweat-drenched clothing after running just a short distance. The sportswear industry has been working on that issue by making the membranes of sportswear more breathable, he said. In addition anatomical tailoring and functional features offer better ventilation.

In addition to polyester, manufacturers increasingly use a material called softshell in their functional clothing. It transports moisture especially well and is very soft and cuddly.