KITTED: A Fashion Editorial on sportswear & femininity

Written by Hafsatu Jalloh

Shot by Amanda Sheik

The ‘sporty but girly’ trend is one that has always been popular; whether it’s the girl you know from down the road, or your favourite celebrity – everyone loves it. There is synergy created when bright and bold sportswear is paired with delicate and more traditionally feminine items of clothing. 

It’s a beautiful ode to how women have integrated sports into their everyday lives and cultures despite how long it’s taken for women’s sporting contributions to be properly recognised globally.

A particularly popular item of clothing to add the ‘sporty’ element to any outfit is the football shirt. It’s an effortlessly cool item of clothing regardless of the team, and with the summer months looming (you wouldn’t think so with all this rain…) it also highlights an exciting time for women’s football with the Women’s Euro’s kicking off in July. With the Lionesses securing their first win in the summer of 2022, they are hoping to be one of the very few teams in the competition to win a double since it started in 1984. 

It’s not just football taking over, it’s an equally amazing period for women’s tennis as Coco Gauff has just won the Women’s French Open title, adding another achievement to her arsenal – a true testament to her being one of tennis’ new trailblazers. Tennis is another sport that defines the ‘sporty but girly’ trend, with the iconic tennis skirt being an item of clothing that blends the two worlds. I grew up in the generation of girls that quite literally fought to get their hands on the American Apparel tennis skirt (it was on everyone’s tumblr page), and have seen firsthand how sportswear has been juxtaposed with femininity and the longevity of this trend. 

It has always been a staple in pop culture – from old school music videos and movies such as ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ to its modern day resurgence with TikTok creators adding a more creative flare to how pieces are put together. Fashion has also had a longstanding love affair with sportswear with designers like Martine Rose releasing men and womenswear inspired by football kits – her AW23 collection in particular being inspired by the Lionesses. Other fashion houses such as Miu Miu have also released their cheeky (quite literally) twist on the tennis skirt- to name a few recent examples.

Discover more from our Fashion section here