Sportswear as a fashion trend has been evolving for the past few years. Now, with the 2012 Olympics on the horizon, the stars are in alignment for yet another burst of sporty chic inspiration. Sleeker, more functional, and with a minimalist leaning, sportswear in 2012 offers up new opportunities for wardrobe inspiration – for both men and women. Read on for the full trend report.
It started as Tomboy chic inspired by football and gym gear and masculine sports. It merged with military trends and spurned utility garb fragmented by zips and dripping with toggles and buckles. Over the past few years, sportswear as a fashion trend has evolved continuously, never really going away completely. And for spring 2012 the evolution continues, with many a designer giving us a fresh take on the sporty theme.
Part of that might well be tied to events of the world. We have an Olympic games coming up in 2012, after all. The men’s runways were first to quote, almost en masse, the Olympics as inspiration. But part is in a desire to keep the threads of minimalism and sports running through the warmer seasons, and doing so woven into a unified aesthetic. Read on for details of how sportswear as a fashion trend is evolving, and how to wear it.
The obvious question then: what’s new about the trend of sporty fashion for spring 2012?
While utility elements haven’t been done away with all together, they’re far less prominent. Sporty fashion in 2012 is less about taking a specific sports uniform and adapting it as streetwear and more about creating sleek, almost minimalist pieces that have an element of the functional. If last season’s sporty girl was all about effortless slouchy sweatshirts and tomboy attitude, then 2012′s is all about Olympic athleticism as an undercurrent to poised femininity.
As such, fashionable sportswear in spring 2012 is all about:
-Looks that are less masculine, and more feminine or androgynous
-Pieces that are form-fitting and sleek, or structured, as opposed to ultra-slouchy
-Sports elements mixed with sophisticated tailoring, and
-Luxurious fabrication in sporty cuts. Look out for leather, silk, sheer fabrics, jersey.
Sporty fashion for spring: elements to look for
Since sportswear fashion in 2012 is all about subtlety, it’s the finer details that count the most. You don’t need to look like you’ve just stepped off a playing field or out of a gym. Instead your best bet is to hunt down versatile pieces that inject a sporty sensibility without being limited to what you can wear them with. Look for:
-Sports bras and tank tops that are minimal and sleek, but with twists like asymmetrical straps. These types of pieces are perfect for layering both day and night time.
-Details like thick elastic strapping, exposed zippers, and utility buckles. Keep them toned down with the outfit, or bold and bright for contrast.
-Mesh or perforated leather, especially when applied unconventionally to a classic item or cut giving it a sporty update.
-Hoods, racer backs as cutaway details on jackets or dresses, outside utility pockets. Again contrasting the details with luxe fabrics and minimal lines gives them a fresh look for 2012.
