Sports and fashion have always been closely aligned, with everything from football to basketball driving the latest trends.
The fashion world has influenced new sports kits and uniforms on numerous occasions. On the other hand, retro sports designs are also increasingly popular nowadays, so much so that they are breaking into the upper echelons of the fashion industry.
This is particularly apparent to keen observers of sports as they are perfectly placed to track the influences of retro and modern sports designs on fashion. For example, sports bettors watch so many games that they can probably see how different fashions have been influenced by specific football kits or basketball styles. With bookmakers offering odds on various sports, these individuals are perfectly placed to track how sports influence fashion.
-High-profile celebrities have also been seen to be getting in on the retro sports designs action. Keep reading for a comprehensive exploration of how and where this is happening.
Retro Football Shirts
Once consigned to only the pitch, football shirts have emerged as a genuine fashion staple among various groups. In fact, many people who have no actual passion for the sport can be seen sporting iconic vintage jerseys.
Teams like Venezia have capitalised on this phenomenon, with the Italian second league team selling a record-breaking number of shirts after collaborating with Emporio Armani on a memorial replica shirt. The actual kit, produced and designed by Kappa, received huge publicity as a result, proving how football shirts have become bona fide fashion statements.
Oversized Basketball Trends
Few sports have had such a significant influence on fashion as basketball over the years. Peddling a combination between relaxed comfort and high-performance sports, baggy basketball shorts and vests have become ubiquitous with the hip-hop scene in particular.
Retro basketball kits are in increasingly high demand, especially for iconic teams like the LA Lakers. Add the propensity for A-list celebrities to be seen courtside during NBA matches and basketball’s influence on modern fashion cannot be overstated.
Athletics Tracksuits
Vintage athletics tracksuits have always been cool, but the nostalgic approach to modern fashion trends has amplified this in the modern day. Tracksuits have become so common in day-to-day life for many people that they can forget why the garments were invented—for the track. Tracksuits have taken on a life of their own over the past few decades, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a set that doesn’t pay homage to the athletics world in some way.
And it’s not just streetwear and day-to-day fashion getting influenced by vintage athletics tracksuits. High-end designer brands have begun referencing tracksuits in their designs, with examples from Prada and Balenciaga recently gracing fashion shows.
Classic Baseball Caps
Just like the tracksuits above, baseball caps have become so firmly ingrained in popular culture that many people forget their origin. It’s the same story with teams like the New York Yankees, whose logo has permeated through so many subcultures and countries.
Real vintage baseball caps are increasingly hard to find nowadays, fetching a high price on resale platforms like eBay, Depop, and Vinted. But with the sheer number of vintage replicas and baseball caps for various brands (not even baseball franchises), it’s almost impossible not to find an example you like.
Motorbike Racing Jackets
There are few bolder ways to echo vintage sports fashion than with a retro motorbike racing jacket. These colourful, sponsor-adorned leather jackets are bold and brash—the perfect way to cut through in the modern world’s increasingly individualist and flamboyant fashion scene.
Vintage motorbike racing jackets are also suave enough to make a statement on the runway or at major cultural events. Little Simz wearing a custom Ed Hardy piece at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage at the 2024 edition is definitive proof that vintage moto jackets are having an undeniable impact on the fashion world.
Old-school Tennis Dress
Vintage tennis-wear is also making a comeback, with the likes of Hailey Bieber fronting Fila’s 2024 campaign. Inspired by the dress codes of iconic tennis competitions like Wimbledon, the legendary Italian brand (now under South Korean ownership), leans heavily on classic tropes like pleated skirts, collared polo shirts, and white trainers.
It’s fresh, it’s sporty, but it’s also clean cut and smart. Vintage tennis clothing is therefore as well suited to casual get-togethers as it is to more sophisticated events and settings.