A Little Sportswear
Whilst I love the functionality and comfort of sportswear, I have never really been one to incorporate it into my casual attire to any great visible extent. Indeed I actually have quite the aversion to the idea of bluntly donning a tracksuit for everyday wear. Although I assume that I may not be the only one with that view. It has always struck me as rather inelegant, and indeed in some respects to be the lazy option. That is not to say that sportswear always looks sloppy, on the contrary, when done correctly, it can actually work wonderfully in a casual setting. However it is not a skill that I personally have at my disposal to work.
Personally, I find the concept of sportswear to have a wonderful allure, in that there is an ease and clean cut functionality to it which I admire. However, as I have stated, I would hesitate to work pieces directly into my own looks. As with most concepts, there is the need to translate and adapt, which is, to put it simply, the process of taking small pieces from here and there and incorporating those into one's own style.
With the days quickly becoming darker and stormily accompanied with lashings of rain, there is perhaps a comfort in sportswear to be found, albeit with a little stylish twist.
I recently saw the look book from New York based Isaora, and I must say that the sportswear element really has taken me in. The collection of snowboarding-inspired apparel seems perfect for keeping warm on those casual days of blustery Winter. I feel that sportswear can often come off feeling far too forced, with too much put into making it look 'sporty', that it invariably becomes excessive without reason. Yet with this collection I find the line carefully towed. It looks clean and casual, and yet there is no sense of being overly casual.
I was particularly fascinated by the finish of the garments, for although they happen to be rather basic in design (a good thing for sportswear by my books), they are still interesting to look at. The clean line of the grey hooded sweatshirt, for example, is quite beautiful, and indeed the texture of the piece, helped along by the choice of black and white photography, looks wonderfully appealing. The styling with the fingerless gloves also stands out, for although I personally avoid wearing them in Winter, they really do add to the overall aesthetic. There is a certain nonchalance inherent in fingerless gloves, most probably linked to their functional roots as sported by labourers who required the use of their fingers. And indeed, nonchalance is something that shall always be seen in fashion, for even when wearing a suit, one seeks to look at ease without looking messy.
I loved the nod to tradition with the inclusion of the thermal Henley and long-johns worn with braces. I suppose the classic notion of sportswear shall always appeal to me far more than its modern imaginings, perhaps linked to my incessant nostalgia of generations past. It was therefore interesting to see the fusion between past and present, although only really alluded to through the choice of styling rather than overall garment design.
Whilst I would not necessarily wear an entire look from the look book (although the first is rather tempting), there are certainly garments that I would happily pick to incorporate into playing with my own style. I may not walk out of the house tomorrow in full snowboarding gear, but a little nod to the influence may perhaps be called for.
Currently playing: By The Time ft. Imogen Heap - Mika
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Personally, I find the concept of sportswear to have a wonderful allure, in that there is an ease and clean cut functionality to it which I admire. However, as I have stated, I would hesitate to work pieces directly into my own looks. As with most concepts, there is the need to translate and adapt, which is, to put it simply, the process of taking small pieces from here and there and incorporating those into one's own style.
With the days quickly becoming darker and stormily accompanied with lashings of rain, there is perhaps a comfort in sportswear to be found, albeit with a little stylish twist.
I recently saw the look book from New York based Isaora, and I must say that the sportswear element really has taken me in. The collection of snowboarding-inspired apparel seems perfect for keeping warm on those casual days of blustery Winter. I feel that sportswear can often come off feeling far too forced, with too much put into making it look 'sporty', that it invariably becomes excessive without reason. Yet with this collection I find the line carefully towed. It looks clean and casual, and yet there is no sense of being overly casual.
I was particularly fascinated by the finish of the garments, for although they happen to be rather basic in design (a good thing for sportswear by my books), they are still interesting to look at. The clean line of the grey hooded sweatshirt, for example, is quite beautiful, and indeed the texture of the piece, helped along by the choice of black and white photography, looks wonderfully appealing. The styling with the fingerless gloves also stands out, for although I personally avoid wearing them in Winter, they really do add to the overall aesthetic. There is a certain nonchalance inherent in fingerless gloves, most probably linked to their functional roots as sported by labourers who required the use of their fingers. And indeed, nonchalance is something that shall always be seen in fashion, for even when wearing a suit, one seeks to look at ease without looking messy.
I loved the nod to tradition with the inclusion of the thermal Henley and long-johns worn with braces. I suppose the classic notion of sportswear shall always appeal to me far more than its modern imaginings, perhaps linked to my incessant nostalgia of generations past. It was therefore interesting to see the fusion between past and present, although only really alluded to through the choice of styling rather than overall garment design.
Whilst I would not necessarily wear an entire look from the look book (although the first is rather tempting), there are certainly garments that I would happily pick to incorporate into playing with my own style. I may not walk out of the house tomorrow in full snowboarding gear, but a little nod to the influence may perhaps be called for.
Currently playing: By The Time ft. Imogen Heap - Mika
xxxx