Introduction

                                                                                                                                www.acerasa.com.pk 
Sports wear , Clothes designed to wear while playing Hockey, Tennis, cricket, Bicycling, Hiking Etc.
The term can also refer to active wear, which is clothing designed specifically for participants in sporting pursuits.

Many of the first American sportswear designers were women, who understood women’s needs and lifestyles. Dorothy Shaver, president of Lord & Taylor, in the Thirties and Forties started to support American designers such as Claire McCardell, Bonnie Cashin and Vera Maxwell, all of whom were first showcased in L&T’s boutiques and Fifth Avenue windows. 

American Invention

In the Forties, McCardell popularized a new way of dressing that included the dirndl skirt. She was well known for her swimsuits, sundresses, wool jersey dinner dresses and “Popovers,” denim wraparound house dresses.In the Fifties, sportswear came into its own. The collegiate look became popular, and sweaters became must-have items. Cashin served up separates and “the layered look,” which included stretch ski pants, pedal pushers and capri pants. In addition, suburbia started influencing fashion trends. Bermuda shorts, cocktail dresses, leathers, pants and knits became must-haves. 

In 1966, a 16-year-old British model named Twiggy made an impact on both sides of the pond with her miniskirts, and the look skyrocketed. Betsey Johnson made a name for herself as an innovator, and designed T-shirt dresses, pantsuits and miniskirts, starting in the Sixties.

The late Sixties and Seventies also saw the rise of the American sportswear designer as a lifestyle brand. Anne Klein, an iconic sportswear brand which catered to women who were attaining more senior jobs and didn’t want to look like men, created power suits. In 1968, Calvin Klein began producing elegant, simple clothes, favoring neural earth tones and natural fabrics.

In 1973, the T-shirt became the number-one counterculture status symbol around the world. HotPants also hit fast and furiously.

By the late Seventies and Eighties, women started entering the workforce in droves. This resulted in the predominance of the power suit and day-to-evening dressing. For those working 9 to 5, the fashion industry created a whole new market, called bridge, with companies such as Anne Klein II at the forefront, and then Ellen Tracy eventually dominating the category.

Throughout the Nineties, designers such as Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger each brought their own sensibility to the sportswear market, and became global lifestyle brands and giant licensing machines. Supermodels showed off the clothes on the runway, creating images that went global.

The late Nineties saw a casualization of the workplace. The Nineties were also dominated by hip-hop fashion, which consisted of baggy pants, baseball caps worn backwards, oversize rugby or polo shirts and expensive sneakers.

In the 21st century, sportswear encompasses casual streetwear and dressy looks, with jeans continuing to play a key role. Celebrities got into the sportswear game, with well-known celebrities such as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olse.

Also Visit:  www.acerasa.com.pk