It’s quite unbelievable to think that tennis players in the 1920’s were expected to play top flight matches in long skirts and trousers, or that the leading golfers of the day could still manage a birdie or two making a drive in tight, form-fitting jackets! New lightweight fabrics with added enhancements allow sportsmen and women to perform at their optimum without any discomfort. Over the years sports clothes have developed in leaps and bounds and, with new innovations and trends introduced on an ongoing basis, team clothing in South Africa will continue to evolve.
From wool to synthetics
One simply has to compare two unequivocal greats of the swimming pool to see how far sports apparel has developed. The 1920’s world champion, Johnny Weissmuller, won 5 Olympic gold medals and 1 bronze in a cumbersome, full-piece swimsuit made out of heavy, water absorbent wool while current legend, Michael Phelps, claimed 14 gold medals attired in a streamline spandex suit.
It was really the introduction of synthetic materials that changed the look and feel of sportswear and if we take a close look at the vast majority of sports clothing worn today, it is spandex that has arguably had the greatest impact.
Spandex
Also known as elastane, spandex is classified as an elastometric fibre, or quite simply a fibre or material that is able to expand over 500% without breaking. The additional wonder of this technically-bred super-fibre is its ability to recover to its original size when not in use.
Spandex, an anagram of expand, first took the world by storm as the preferred attire of the superheroes like Superman and Batman but was soon embraced by our current heroes and heroines: the athletes of the modern world. Swimmers, gymnasts and figure skaters wear spandex to great effect - even our cricketers wear spandex undergarments on the field.
From wool to synthetics
One simply has to compare two unequivocal greats of the swimming pool to see how far sports apparel has developed. The 1920’s world champion, Johnny Weissmuller, won 5 Olympic gold medals and 1 bronze in a cumbersome, full-piece swimsuit made out of heavy, water absorbent wool while current legend, Michael Phelps, claimed 14 gold medals attired in a streamline spandex suit.
It was really the introduction of synthetic materials that changed the look and feel of sportswear and if we take a close look at the vast majority of sports clothing worn today, it is spandex that has arguably had the greatest impact.
Spandex
Also known as elastane, spandex is classified as an elastometric fibre, or quite simply a fibre or material that is able to expand over 500% without breaking. The additional wonder of this technically-bred super-fibre is its ability to recover to its original size when not in use.
Spandex, an anagram of expand, first took the world by storm as the preferred attire of the superheroes like Superman and Batman but was soon embraced by our current heroes and heroines: the athletes of the modern world. Swimmers, gymnasts and figure skaters wear spandex to great effect - even our cricketers wear spandex undergarments on the field.
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