The Triumph of Sports Apparel

When I asked one colleague how sportswear has influenced her personal fashion style and daily wardrobe, she replied, "Well, I'm not an athlete, but I really love my sports bra!"

Some women have virtually given up wearing bras, not necessarily because we're liberated, but because "they're just so uncomfortable!"  And that perky "lift-and-separate" look touted in some advertisements may not justify the discomfort these bras - wonder or otherwise - cause.  But eventually, gravity begins to takes its toll.  Could the sports bra be the answer?

It could be - and it could be more.  The sports bra is not only the saving grace of those of us who are "maturing women," it's also becoming an icon of female athletic power. The sports bra has leapt out of the fashion closet, thanks to Brandi Chastain and her team's win in.  When Brandi Chastain whipped off her jersey to celebrate her team's win in the Women's World Cup Soccer Championship, revealing her Nike Inner Actives sports bra, she changed the face of the fashion industry.  Sports bras symbolize in "brief" what athletic wear has done for the women's fashion industry in general over the last two decades.

Evolution of Women's Athletic Gear
The growth of the women's athletic apparel industry can be linked to the passage of Title IX, the federal legislation enacted by Congress on June 23, 1972, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally assisted education programs and activities.  That legislation set off an explosion of girls' and women's participation in sports across the nation. In 1971, fewer than 300,000 high school girls played interscholastic sports.  Today, that number is 2.4 million.    And as that number has grown, the demand for appropriate athletic wear for women and girls also has increased.

In the early 1970s, women and girls had no choice but to participate and compete on the athletic field wearing clothes designed for male bodies.  A turning point came in 1977. According to Dana White, an editor at Women's Sports and Fitness magazine, the sports bra was born when two female joggers in Vermont sewed two jockstraps together to create a bra that would provide reasonably comfortable breast support for running; from this came the JogBra.  Since then, sports bras have revolutionized women's sports and fitness.  Most female athletes don't leave home without one.

The mid-'70s also brought other changes to the women's activewear industry: in 1977 Ellen Wessel founded Moving Comfort, an athletic apparel company that manufactured and distributed the first running shorts designed specifically for women.  Elizabeth Goeke became a full-time partner in the business the next year.  Ellen and Elizabeth were, in Wessel's words, "two 20-something female distance runners who got tired of looking for clothes that fit."

At first, they blamed themselves for the ill fit of the clothing: "We knew for sure that if we were skinnier, the clothes would work," Wessel recalls.  "When the light finally went on, we realized that it wasn't our bodies at fault - the clothes were made for skinny men.  With the convergence of three key elements, a business was born:  We pretty much hated our jobs; we loved running;  [and] no one else was bothering to make running clothes for women ... so we did."

Their first priority was running shorts, which they designed to fit women's bodies: Compared to men, women are broader in the hips, narrower in the waist, and longer in the rise (the distance between waist and crotch).  Running shorts, however, were only the beginning.  Sports bras quickly became a key product in their line of high performance athletic wear.  While athletic shoes are the foundation of the men's athletic wear industry, the first important [piece of equipment for many women who run is a sports bra that provides comfortable support, says Goeke.

Spandex Enters the Scene
The '70s brought another revolution in the apparel industry - by way of a major chemical company.  The development of Lycra(r), DuPont's brand name for spandex fabric, changed the apparel industry indelibly.    (Lycra(r) is a synthetic elastic fabric; see the sidebar on fabrics.)  Both athletic-wear designers and fashion designers saw the potential in this product.

"In the '70s ... many designers used lightweight jerseys with Lycra(r) for form-fitting eveningwear," says Goeke. At the same time, she says, spandex was a natural choice for athletic clothing.  During the 1980s the form-fitting garments first used in speed skating and swimming came to running, highlighted by track stars like Florence  Griffith-Joyner, who brought a new sense of style to the running world.

From there, form-fitting garments found their way into sports activities of just about every sort - and beyond, to mainstream fashion. "Actually, form-fittings garments of all kinds came out of performance athletic wear," says Goeke.  "And then the mainstream made it an accepted new trend."

A recent milestone in the women's athletic wear market was the 1996 Olympics, according to Wessel.  "A lot of retailers had been talking for years about the value of the women's market, but it seemed like [after] what happened with the women in the Olympics in '96, it really exploded."  Until recently, men were considered the most important market for athletic apparel, Wessel says, but now female consumers drive the industry.

The Business of Women's Athletic Clothing
The female consumer is the foundation of business at Moving Comfort.  The company's philosophy is "A fit woman is a powerful woman(tm)," and the goal is to make clothes that women will be comfortable in while exercising.  Wessel says her satisfaction comes from "feeling like we are indeed helping inspire women to get fit and stay fit."  Goeke says she is thrilled "somebody says 'I bought your product and I just had to tell you, it's the best fitting bra I've ever worn."

Another aspect of the growing market for women's sports apparel, according to Wessel and Goeke, is "that more women of various sizes, different physiques and different body types are working out." Those of us who do not fit into the 2 - 14 size range often have difficulty finding active wear to fit our physiques.  But as Internet "e-commerce" becomes more common, increasing numbers of women will have access to items previously offered only in specialty shops and will find a broader selection of sizes than those available from traditional retailers.

The world of athletic wear is also becoming increasingly specialized.  A number of companies manufacture clothing specifically for practitioners of yoga, for example.  One such company even takes its name from the Sanskrit mantra "om."  The L'Om line includes unitards, drawstring pants, T-shirts with yoga and chakra motifs and cozy fleece blankets for après-yoga.  A recent J. Crew catalog included 12 items in the new "J.Crew Collection," including yoga pants and a "yoga bra."  Not just a sports bra - a yoga bra.  Yoga Zone and Living Arts also produce popular catalogs that offer a variety of outfits for the optimal practice of yoga.

Sports Apparel in Daily Life
Sports bras have made daily life more comfortable for many women, even those who never compete in sports.  Another fashion item that has found its way into many women's daily wardrobe is leggings, usually made from cotton or a cotton-Lycra(r) blend.  Originally, leggings were worn by dancers and other athletes, but starting in the 1980s and continuing today, females of all physical types have sported skin-tight leggings under long T-shirts or short dresses.  These women aren't necessarily biking or doing aerobics or pumping iron.  They're going to class, attending a meetings or grocery shopping, enjoying the comfort and freedom provided by clothing demanded for ease of movement.  And more than one 11-year-old girl has probably silenced a parental; how, "That skirt is way too short!" with the flip of a skirt hem and a quick retort, "But I'm wearing bike short underneath!"

The development of athletic wear has also benefited - albeit indirectly and probably unintentionally - a group of women that is all too often ignored by the fashion industry.  Women with disabilities encounter a number of challenges relating to wear and fit.  For example, the heavy-duty inseams of even the best-made jeans can be uncomfortable and cause pressure on the skin.  Soft-fittings leggings with elastic waistbands are a comfortable alternative to denim jeans with zippers, buttons or snaps; this "fit factor" comes into play daily for wheelchairs users, many of whom remain seated for much of the day.  Women with disabilities are also becoming more active in many arenas, including fitness. Which makes them part of the consumer market targeted by the athletic wear industry. Sure, we want to look good - but we want to feel good, too, and we need to be able to get things done in the clothes we wear.    The athletic apparel industry has helped create alternatives to the limitations of traditional designer fashions.

The sports bra epitomizes the impact athletic wear has made on the fashion industry.  Even if we're not scaling a vertical rock face, or riding a road marathon on a Cannondale, or pumping up in the gym  - even if we're wearing a power suit to a corporate board meeting  - the sports bra fits and we're wearing it.

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Fabrics
Advances in the quality and variety of synthetic fabrics have made a tremendous difference in sportswear, athletic apparel, and outdoor wear for both women and men.  Following is a list of some of the fabrics used in the manufacture of all sorts of active wear.

COOLMAX®, a moisture-management fabric developed by DuPont, is designed to wick moisture away from the skin while allowing air in to keep the skin cool and dry.

DRILAYER® is a moisture-management fabric developed by Moving Comfort.  It quickly draws sweat away from the skin and serves as a wind barrier, useful for high intensity activities in cold weather.

GELANOTS® is a laminated microporous membrane that allows heat vapor to dissipate rapidly while preventing water from penetrating the garment, offering waterproof, breathable windproof protection.

KEVLAR® demonstrates high-tensile strength with low weight and is used in a wide variety of industrial applications.

LYCRA® is a synthetic elastomeric fiber, invented and produced by DuPont. Generically, this fiber is known as spandex in the United States and Canada, and as elastane in Europe.  It's a "segmented polyurethane," which means that while the fiber appears to be a single, continuous thread, it's actually a bundle of tiny filaments. This unique molecular structure gives Lycra® its lasting elasticity.

NO SEE UM MESH, a polyester fabric, is used by Insect Out(r) to create insect barrier garments that deter mosquitoes and other insects.

SUPPLEX® is a microdenure, a very fine synthetic filament.  Developed by DuPont, Supplex® is soft, breathable, odor- and water-resistant; supple like cotton, but with the strength, durability and performance of nylon.

VERSATECH®, a polyester microfiber, is lightweight, supple, and silky.

WEARFORCE™, developed by DuPont, combines the toughness of Kevlar®, the stretch of Lycra(r), and the comfort of polyester.

Wicking and moisture management refers to a fabric's ability to keep moisture away from the body.  Most wicking and moisture-management fabrications are polyester based.  Several different techniques, such as chemical treatments, can be used to change a fabric from moisture loving to moisture hating.

Jaehn Clare holds a master's degree in literature, and is employed as a commercial producer with 13WMAZ-TV in Macon, Georgia.  Jaehn lives in the historic district of downtown Macon with her dog Clancy Bojangles, who takes her out regularly for casual strolls around the park.