Sportswear as a fashion trend has been evolving for the past few years. For spring 2014 it continues on the direction of sleek, minimal and luxurious, making itself ripe for new interpretations now and into fall. Read on for the full report.
To assume that sports fashion finally grew up wouldn’t be such an in incorrect presumption. Although it might seem like yesterday when sportswear was all about throwing on pair of looses pants, a slouchy t-shirt and a cool cap, years have since gone by with them the lines got blurred. The athletic influences are no longer that obvious, when they are, something about them screams pure luxury. Could be the sexier feel, the unexpected styling or the luxury fabrics used to balance out the relaxed silhouettes, but what is certain is that sportywears fashion makes for an effortlessly elegant looks one of these days.

ONE of this season’s lead stories, the athletic trend comes brimming with old-school attitude. Hi-tech fabrics and sports mesh abound but what felt freshest this season was the old-school approach to styling,” says Vogue contributing fashion editor Kate Phelan. Look for classic touches – plimsolls, racer backs, gym shorts, and go-faster stripes – to capture that sports-day spirit.

The Sports Luxury Trend
As the impressive and unprecedentedly successful 2012 Olympics tie its last ribbon, a battle for gold took place behind the scenes. Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani showcased their creations on a new type of catwalk. Just like the best professionals in sport, fashion too is always preparing ahead of time with a goal in mind, but never before has sportswear been dissolved and revived in such a fusion of performance and style.

Notably, it was the Italians and Dutch who were equally impressive in their stylish representations of their countries character. Armani chose to have his outfits permeate a fairly subdued formal aesthetic, with emphasis on hidden detail – for example, words from the national anthem were printed into the lining of the jackets.

Look One: Sporting Whites
Riviera and luxury go hand in hand, just as Henleys have been associated with sport ever since Chariots of Fire. In light cotton rather than a heavier waffle knit, a Henley will enable you to stride purposefully from the bar to the track with your mind fully on the competition.

The element of luxury lay in the fabric and the cut, with garish neon’s being replaced with well placed zips and asymmetrical lines. Though there is no doubt the Olympic year has played a role in the resurgence of sportswear, the intensity by which established and young designers have tried to redefine its character means this trend may be only just getting into gear.