HISTORY OF ACTIVEWEAR

Now so prominent in fashion today with the athleisure trend, activewear began in the US around the 1930s. Clare Potter and Claire McCardell were the first American designers to gain recognition for their innovative clothing designs with ‘problem solving ingenuity and realistic lifestyle applications.’ They designed easy to wear/ comfortable pieces using practical fabrics such as cotton and jersey which were obviously easier to play sports in as oppose to the dresses they were expected to wear before.

1930s - 40s

McCardell is described as America’s greatest sportswear designer as her simple, practical clothes suited the not too formal, relaxed American dress code. Her attitude to the trend made American sportswear free, democratic and widely available. She was credited with the creation of ready to wear as her clothes were artistic with stylish requirements.

1950s

McCardell used lightweight, easy wear circle or pleated skirts to produce the same silhouette as Dior’s corseted designs that were upcoming and renowned at the time to maintain the class and shape expected of women. Her sportswear designs accommodated for a variety of body shapes and freedom of movement.

1960s

Designers starting producing clothing focused on wearability rather than fashion fads. The 60s bought the emergence designer Rudy Gernreich and his swimsuits with geometric cuts, graphic clothes and knitwear - the trend was described as the epitome of ‘New California.’ His sportswear was designed round the concept of durability and depended on very simple shapes made in vivid colours and bold, geometric prints. He used double knitting to enable mass production of knitted suits, coats and dresses that retained their shape so were perfect for activewear.

1970s - 80s

During the 1970s Calvin Klein became particularly known for his sportswear designs, made in all-natural fibres such as wool, combed cotton, and linen.1975 Calvin Klein was described as having styled his clean, casual separates with the authority of a couture designer and was named "one of the great American stylists" with an international reputation and worldwide influence entirely based on his skills as a sportswear designer. The empire of Calvin Klein was joined in the mid-1980s by Donna Karan and Tommy Hilfiger, each creating their own distinctive wardrobes for the American woman based upon stylish but wearable, comfortable and interchangeable multi-purpose clothes that combined practicability with luxury. Clothes stopped being designed to be fashionable for one season and became having a long, undated life.

1990s - NOW

In the 90s brands like Lacoste rose with sportswear designs that featured a sexy twist that involved showing more skin. Now ath-opulence/ luxe is centred around beautiful design and looking good in the gym, it enhances performance and looks stylish. In the S/S 18 runway, there was a theme of elevated sport that presented functional pieces fused with feminine styles. Kith sport showed a clear understanding for the millennial appetite for nostalgic looks balanced by contemporary cool.