From Jerseys to Training Pants: The Influence of Major Sports Events on Summer Fashion
The biggest fashion trends of the summer are being driven by major sports events in Germany and France, as confirmed by the Louis Vuitton Menswear Show in Paris on Tuesday evening. The craze for training pants, designer sneakers, and football jerseys had already begun to emerge months earlier.
For several months, the hashtag “#Blokecore” has been trending across social media. The British term “bloke” refers to a stereotypically masculine person, and one might say that beer-drinking, chanting football fans embody this trend perfectly.
Adidas as a Trendsetter
The pink away jersey of the German national team is highly favored by both fashion enthusiasts and football fans. “The pink jersey is the best-selling away jersey in the history of all DFB jerseys,” said Adidas spokesperson Oliver Brüggen on Tuesday. Particularly popular is the version with the number eight, worn by Champions League winner Toni Kroos.
Currently, Adidas is seen as the ultimate trendsetter among fashion-savvy individuals. Shoes from the German company are popular not only among athletes but also among fashion influencers. Models like “Samba” and “Campus” in red, green, and white have become bestsellers, and the demand for Adidas training pants and shorts is also growing.
LVMH Bets on Athleisure
Luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton are also capitalizing on the ongoing athleisure trend. It’s no surprise that star designer and musician Pharrell Williams incorporated sports and football references into his latest men’s collection.
His models walked the runway with bags resembling footballs and jerseys emblazoned with LVFC. It should be noted that LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, is a sponsor of this year’s Olympic Games.
Louis Vuitton isn’t the only brand using sports references, as noted by “New York Times” fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. The shows of the five major French heritage brands—Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior, and Balenciaga—serve “in effect as the business cards for the Olympic Games in Paris.”
High Expectations for the Paris Olympics
A preview of the fashion to come at the Paris Summer Games, starting on July 26, was provided by the uniforms of the U.S. team presented on Tuesday. The American athletes will once again be outfitted by luxury label Ralph Lauren, with the dominant colors being, unsurprisingly, white, red, and blue. Reactions to the uniforms were mixed. In contrast, the uniforms for the Italian Olympic team, revealed last summer, are simpler and designed by Italian fashion house Armani.
Clearly, expectations for the fashion surrounding the Olympic Games are higher than ever. “With the Olympic Games taking place this year in a city that is arguably the fashion capital of the world when it comes to luxury stores, clothing will play an even more crucial role than in previous games,” predicted the “Washington Post.”
