Kuidas spordirõivad on 100 aasta jooksul muutunud: 22 fotot siis ja nüüd

I’d like to start with tennis. To show at once how sexy tennis players looked 100 years ago. Although figure skaters, whose modern outfits are works of art, can impress no less. And, by the way, in the 1920s, the look of these athletes was also in the “sexy” category. Things just change.

So, what did the outfit look like in the 1920s? Let’s look at the pictures and learn interesting facts from the history of fashion and sports.

Tennis

A sensation in the world of sports was the performance of Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen at Wimbledon in 1921. The tennis player took to the court in a light sleeveless dress with a pleated knee-length skirt. It was created by fashion designer Jean Patou.

The two-time Olympic champion inspired other tennis players to forget about long skirts and corsets. The Frenchwoman also wore a knitted headband for the first time. And this trend is still relevant to this day.

Then

Now.

26-time Wimbledon winner Elizabeth Ryan said afterwards: “All female tennis players should kneel before Suzanne and thank her for ridding us of the tyranny of corsets.”

The men also had someone to take example from. It was 10-time Grand Slam winner Rene Lacoste. Yes, today he is known to the general public as the founder of the Lacoste brand. It was he who introduced polo shirts into fashion. They became especially popular among tennis players and golfers.

While women in the 1920s already played in short skirts, men changed from pants to shorts only in the 1940s.

Figure skating

In 1924 at the Olympics in Chamonix (France) figure skaters performed in long skirts, sweaters (previously there were fur coats) and even hats! No wonder, because they skated on open rinks. In the 20s, fashion began to change, and even the cold did not prevent skirts from being shortened to the knees.

Then

Now.

The first short dress on a female singles competitor didn’t appear until 1936. By wearing it to perform at the Olympic Games, the Norwegian Sonja Henie revolutionized. By the way, she also introduced white skates into fashion. Until the 1920s, there were no such skates at the skaters’ disposal.

Then

Now.

It was important for male figure skaters in the 1920s to insulate themselves as well, but outfit reforms still did not go unnoticed. Pants became wider and noticeably shorter. The color chosen was either black or dark blue.

By the way, one of the mandatory requirements for men was to wear tights. Beautiful scarves and belts were encouraged by the judges. But conditions continued to dictate their own rules. Some outdoor rinks required the use of coats.

Soccer

Soccer uniforms 100 years ago bore no resemblance to those of today. Players wore sweaters and long shorts. Such clothing was very uncomfortable. There were no elastic bands, shorts were held on the straps. As a result, athletes regularly lost them. It was decided to shorten shorts only in the middle of the XX century.

Then

Now.

Also among the differences with modern realities is the absence of player numbers. This tradition appeared only in the 1930s.

Hockey

Since 1917, the NHL had a rule that hockey players had to have a set of clothes consisting of only two things: a sweater and gaiters. That’s hard to believe now! Krags didn’t exist back then. They didn’t start to be worn until the late 1930s.

In the 1920s, goalies began to be issued protective masks. However, they borrowed them from fencers or baseball players.

Back then.

Now.

Of the innovations of the decade – experiments with the color of uniforms. Before that, hockey players’ shorts were mostly brown. When in 1926 the team “Detroit” went to the match in white shortened models, the fans were shocked.

The decision was too bold. It looked a lot like underwear. Because of the flood of discontent, the white color was replaced by red.

Curling

In the 1920s, curling was played on frozen bodies of water, so the brush was different. Back then, it was used to clean the surface. Today, its job is to sweep. Gloves were made of deerskin or calfskin.

Back then.

Nüüd

Curling clubs were popular then. Their specialty was that each club had its own distinctive uniform. Curling players would dress up. Women – in fur coats over bouffant dresses and hats. Men’s outfit: high hats, coats and pants.

By the way, for the first time pants with colored print began to wear athletes from Norway. If now the shoes are more like sneakers, then it was something like boots of dark color.

Surfing

In 1923, young people began to surf en masse because of the emergence of the Association of fans of this sport. It was at this time that the “beach boys” culture began to emerge.

Then

Now.

In their free time, surfers wore brightly colored shirts with floral prints. They conquered the waves in modest equipment – simple shorts of dark color.

At the beginning of the XX century boards were made of pine, mahogany or balsa. Their weight was 50 kg and their length was five meters. In the 1930s, it was already a construction of balsa, spandrels, veneers, waterproof glue and varnish. The boards became lighter, but difficult to control. Perfect models were still a long way off.

Running

Both then and now, clothes for running resemble underwear – a T-shirt and short shorts. But there is a difference. And it’s not just technology. For the 1920s, this level of nudity was a revolution. Especially when it comes to showing a woman’s body.

Back then.

Now.

In 1928, the first Olympic running event for women was held in Amsterdam. At that time, men’s uniforms had undergone a change. If earlier the clothes for participation in the Olympics had to cover the arms to the elbows and legs to the knee, now it was shortened. Women were allowed to dress similarly.

Skis

The 1920s was the heyday of skiing. In 1924 it became an Olympic sport.

The skier’s equipment was woolen. Such fabrics as koverkot, gabardine were used. Also in use were woolen tights. The choice of material was determined not only by the need for insulation. Such fabrics do not stick to snow, and they allow to achieve a snug fit.

Then

Now.

Skiers wore outerwear. They were made of thick cotton. The colors were dark to camouflage dirt. The downside was that they burned out in the scorching sun in the mountains.

Ujumine

The 1920s was a time of women’s closet revolutions. One of them was the emergence of swimsuits. They were made of jersey. The most popular model was the tricot suits by French fashion designer Jean Patou.

Then

Now.

The men also changed from overalls to shortened square shorts. They allowed for faster speed. However, the color was always dark. Brightly colored swimming shorts didn’t appear until the 1940s.