The Everlasting Link Between Sports and Fashion

Clothing is of vital importance in every sporting discipline.  

Whether it is breathability, comfort or performance, the right sportswear is essential to success. For the superstitious among us too, fashion also plays a role in sports, with stars turning to jewellery, socks, and even pants to bring them luck.  

But what about the other way, when the world of sports has stepped in the opposite direction and challenged traditional fashion norms?  

Take a look around you. If you’re at home, in the office or on the tube, what do you see? 

We’re pretty confident that you’ll at least be able to spot at least one pair of sneakers or sweats. While they might feel like part and parcel of your everyday wardrobe, this wasn’t where they were initially intended to be. Their purpose was for the track, the field, the pitch, the court, or any other sporting environment you can think of.  

With the help of Charles Tyrwhitt, we thought we’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.  

Tennis  

While you could argue that every sport has influenced fashion to some degree, few argue this case as much as tennis.  

Rene Lacoste, known as ‘The Crocodile’, was a French tennis player from the 1920s. He began development of a more breathable jersey that could be used in his beloved sport. The top was a hit, much like its founder, and it was soon adapted into a short-sleeve polo alternative.  

The t-shirt is still popular to this day, not only on the court but also as a casual, debonair addition to any outfit, the world over.  

Former world tennis number one and the first player to win a career Grand Slam, Fred Perry is a legend in his respective sporting disciple. But even more so in the world of fashion. While it remains ver