I was amused by a recent article speculating on the popularity of yoga pants far outstripping the popularity of yoga. Apparently people are eschewing the expense and effort of actually taking a yoga class, opting to just wear the yoga outfit instead. Why didn't I think of that??
It's about time a women's clothing fad is something that is both comfortable and has a reasonable expectation to be flattering on most. Farewell, stripper platform heels! Sayonara, overalls and flannel shirts! Bring on the leggings and ballet flats! And what's all this squawk about the dreaded 'camel toe'? If you ask me, it's a small price to pay for comfort. The current women's athletic wear industry is a godsend, with its stretchy yet firming miracle fabrics and built-in shelf bras. 'Twas not always so. We've come a long way, baby.
Improving and maintaining one's health through physical activity has been around since the Greeks jogged up the steps of the Parthenon. Those nice ladies pictured below playing beach volleyball notwithstanding, exercising for health was directed more towards the gents until gender equality arrived on the scene 2500 years later. Around the turn of the 20th century in the U.S., two activities in particular resulted in women becoming more active and therefore needing a wardrobe update: bicycling and basketball.
Early bicycle manufacturers were so considerate to design a model that allowed women to keep their legs together.
Nowadays, keeping their legs together is the least of this team's worries.
A century ago, women were lucky to be allowed out unaccompanied and let the sun touch their delicate complexions. It was too much to ask that they be allowed to wear comfortable clothing as well. Heaven forfend any ankles might show.
Tennis togs have lightened up considerably since then.
Nowadays the view is definitely better, but golf clothes still have a ways to go IMO.
The widest swing of the athletic fashion pendulum has to be women's swimwear. Bikinis were all the rage in ancient Rome. Too bad the fad got lost in the shuffle until 1946.
Thanks to a fabric shortage during World War II and an enterprising French designer, we no longer have to swim in our pajamas. However, there were some bumps along the road. The Chicago police department, among others, had a hard time adjusting to the new paradigm. Swimsuit Patrol had to be the most popular beat at the station!
Exercise for fitness has cycled in and out of popularity since the days of laurel wreaths and togas. The most recent wave has surged forward to compete with our hundred-year obsession with American team sports. It it too much to hope more modest exercise fashions will cycle back as well? I was all for the less-is-more fashion philosophy until I reached middle age. Now the last thing I need is athletic wear that exposes the sun damage/wrinkle/cellulite-inducing sins of my past. If I don't push away from the keyboard and get some exercise, I'm gonna wish tennis skirts still covered the ankles. Time to put on my yoga pants and watch a yoga video.
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