Sports disciplines – Style – Kommersant

Most of the things in the modern wardrobe came into our lives, as a rule, either from military uniforms or from sports equipment from different times. We have already talked about things that came from the armies of countries more than once, now we will discuss wardrobe items that came to us from the world of sports. Let’s leave out sneakers, olympics and sweatpants, because all these things remain part of professional equipment – let’s focus on things that have become entrenched in the wardrobe, not necessarily as sportswear.

Polo T-shirt

The history of the polo shirt dates back to the 19th century, when players in the discipline of the same name wore elongated cotton shirts (the game itself appeared in Europe when the British “brought” it from the Indian colonies). However, she bore little resemblance to her contemporary. The polo shirt we are used to was invented by tennis player René Lacoste, also known as the Crocodile. He introduced a short-sleeved button-down shirt made from piqué cotton. On the left, Lacoste embroidered his own emblem – a crocodile. Following him, another tennis player, Fred Perry, released his collection. That is why polo shirts are sometimes called polo shirts – they are still part of the players’ uniform.

sweatshirt

The basic gray sweatshirt (or sweatshirt) also came from the world of sports – however, already from the USA. The classic gray sweatshirt was part of the outfit of American football players. At the end of the 19th century, football players trained and played in massive sweaters made of thick wool – one can easily imagine how uncomfortable and impractical this was. The players were constantly hot, such sweaters did not absorb moisture well and became heavy when they got wet. According to legend, the textile worker Ben Russell was the first to guess at the beginning of the 20th century to sew a sweatshirt from cotton – he fixed the name sweatshirt (sweatshirt – a jacket that retains sweat).

The original sweatshirt had two triangles at the neck – to collect and retain excess moisture. The cotton pattern quickly spread throughout America. Later, as is often the case, students began to wear sweatshirts outside the football field – and so they gained their popularity. Modern models have only a triangle in front – and it performs rather a decorative function.

rugby

Many people think that rugby is a polo shirt with long sleeves. However, the history of rugby is more like the history of the sweatshirt. In the 19th century, Englishmen who played rugby did so in a special “gentleman’s” uniform: according to the saying, rugby is a game of hooligans played by gentlemen. Initially, the uniform consisted of a flannel shirt (sometimes with a bow tie), wool trousers and a cap. Such equipment was uncomfortable, wore out quickly and fell into disrepair after a game full of hard grips and collisions.

At the beginning of the XX, it was decided to switch to wool sweatshirts – but this, as in the case of American football, was not crowned with success. Then English students began to play in shirts made of thick cotton with long sleeves, as well as a collar similar to the collar of polo shirts. This form was loved by both players and fans, who began to wear such shirts to the games of their teams – rugby players were usually decorated with horizontal stripes in the colors of the team or university. Later, rugby shirts appeared in the wardrobe of American Ivy League students – they were an excellent alternative to shirts, while remaining an element of clothing for real gentlemen. From American campuses and from English fields, rugby has already spread around the world, maintaining its status.

Ilya Petruk