By Jess Pinchbeck and Caroline Heaney
Image by Laura Rincón on Pexels
Why sports kit matters for women’s performance
The design and fit of women’s sports kit is increasingly recognised as a key factor in female sports participation and performance. While kit may seem trivial, evidence suggests that sportswear plays an active role in shaping athletes’ experiences, influencing comfort, safety, performance and empowerment of participants during sports performance.
Many women are still expected to wear sports kit that fits poorly, is impractical in colour, or unnecessarily sexualises their bodies.
These factors can discourage participation and affect performance at every level – from recreational sport to elite competition. This makes women’s sports kit a critical issue for those working with female participants, such as coaches, PE teachers and sport and exercise scientists.
The ‘shrink it and pink it’ problem in sportswear design
In many sports, particularly those traditionally considered ‘male’, women’s kit is created using a ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach. This means designs are based on standard male proportions and scaled down.
This reflects a wider research gap. Data shows that only around 6% of sports science research has focused exclusively on female athletes. This had led to women typically following training regimes and wearing footwear and clothing that has been designed based on research with male athletes.
As a result, women often have to adapt poorly fitting kit themselves. For example, footballers rolling waistbands for a better fit and women in martial arts altering uniforms to improve .
Improving female-focused sport and exercise science research is essential to designing kit that genuinely supports women’s bodies and performance.
Sexualisation of women’s sports kit
Image by H. B. from Pixabay
At the other end of the spectrum, sportswear designed specifically for women is often created to accentuate the female form. This contributes to the sexualisation of female athletes, with kit frequently designed to appeal to the male gaze. Compared to men’s sportswear, women’s kit is often more revealing, tighter fitting and less practical for movement and comfort.
Research suggests that tight, revealing clothing can reduce comfort and negatively affect performance. In recent years, many athletes are challenging these norms:
- The Norwegian beach handball team wore shorts instead of traditional bikini briefs at the 2021 European Championships, to improve comfort and performance.
- Gymnast Sarah Voss wore a full-body suit to compete in the 2021 European Championships making a stand against the sexualisation and the fear of exposure associated with wearing a leotard.
These actions highlight a growing movement to prioritise functionality, comfort and athlete autonomy over outdated expectations. Elite athletes are leading the way to drive change and stimulate discussion to alter the discourse around female athletes.
Why colour matters: menstruation and kit design
Sports kit colour, particularly white, is a major issue for many female athletes.
Research shows that wearing white kit can cause anxiety during menstruation due to concerns about the visibility of period blood – in sports such as rugby, tennis, and soccer. This is linked to wider societal pressures to conceal menstruation.
As a result, several high-profile changes have taken place, such as:
- Wimbledon updated its dress code in 2023 to allow darker undershorts – the first significant shift in the iconic dress codes since 1877.
- England women’s football and Ireland women’s rugby changed from white to darker shorts following player concerns.
Feminist acts such as these to resist uniform traditions can stimulate positive change, empower and develop agency amongst female athletes. All of which are important in the psychology of sport performance, influencing confidence and concentration, and facilitating the attainment of optimal performance.
Beyond the kit: challenging gender norms in sport
Sportswear doesn’t just affect performance – it can both challenge and reinforce traditional gender roles. Design choices reflecting societies’ ideas of what is ‘feminine’ can shape how women are viewed in the sporting environment and how female athletes are discussed and valued.
For example, in 2011 the Amateur International Boxing Association suggested skirts could make female boxers appear more ‘elegant’ and help distinguish them from their male counterparts. Two national teams (Poland and Romania) briefly mandated this approach, with the Polish coach Leszek Piotrowski stating “By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression. Wearing shorts is not a good way for women boxers to dress”. However, this proposed skirt uniform was widely contested and refuted by the majority.
There is growing recognition that sports kit should be designed around function, inclusion and athlete experience – not outdated stereotypes.
Designing better sports kit for women and girls
To improve women’s sport experiences, sports kit should be designed for the female body for practical and performance reasons, not to confirm to societies’ acceptance and without sexualising the athlete.
Key considerations include:
- Offering a wider range of sizes, fits and lengths
- Providing choice in styles (e.g. shorts, leggings, bodysuits)
- Avoiding ‘one-size-fits-all’ or unisex solutions.
Positive changes are already emerging. Both England Netball and Netball Australia have broadened uniform options in response to players’ calls for choice and inclusivity. Players can now wear combinations such as shirts, bodysuits, shorts, long pants and more.
These developments support body confidence, inclusion and performance optimisation.
What needs to change next?
The design of sports kit can either facilitate or hinder women’s participation and performance in sports.
To drive meaningful change, the sport and exercise sector must:
- Invest in female-specific research
- Listen to the lived experiences of female athletes
- Design kit that prioritises comfort, function and choice
- Challenge outdated traditions and gender norms.
By raising awareness of the intricacies of this through research and teaching it is possible to improve the knowledge of those working with girls and women to support choice and empowerment when it comes to sportswear design. Working together, those within the sport and exercise field can promote a more inclusive and empowering sport environment for female athletes.
Interested in sport, performance and inclusion?
Studying sport and exercise can help you understand how factors like sports kit influence performance, identity and participation.
At The Open University, you can explore these topics through flexible, research-led study designed to reflect real-world challenges in sport today.
