Women athletes’ clothing

Thanks everyone for what you’ve all said. OK, perhaps my use of the word obscene was too much but I didn’t say the clothing was such. I said it was “verging on”. And bodyshaming. No!! I’m sad that anyone should think that’s what I was doing. These are all magnificently healthy, toned individuals, men and women. No shame in that. I still maintain that the womens clothing is too skimpy in many instances and am gratified to note that this has brought up the broader subject of disparity in clothing between the sexes. If, as some have suggested, this is a matter in which some athletes have no choice that is a whole new subject for debate. And comparing some athletes clothing to beachwear? That’s an interesting one. Yes, it is so. But I maintain that the frequent extreme physical posturing that many athletes achieve in the performance of their activities should necessitate clothing that is different from clothing used to cover the body in a beach setting. I suppose the answer lies with the athletes. If they truly, truly are happy that’s fine. But if they’re not they should be able to wear whatever they like as long as they’re capable of being accurately judged without being fined as I see one of you has pointed out. To be excluded from a sport, as I’m sure some societies would demand, simply because of the clothing would be a sad state of affairs.

I can’t say I have noticed anything at all different but then I only watch certain sports so perhaps I missed them. The swimmers certainly looked fine, very well covered.

Watching KJT doing the heptathlon. She wore the sleeveless crop-top for the running and high jump - they all did. But for the shot putt she wore a short-sleeved crop-top - some others did, some stayed with traditional crop-top.

www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/women-athletes-uniform-changes-1.6122725

Chardy Thank you so, so much for posting that article. A lot of things in it that are pertinent to this thread. In my OP I didn’t dare write some of the words that have been written in the article as I’m sure it would have not been received well by some of the Gransnetters! Men’s athletics is now on TV….

Some people are in the business of "being offended" and need to move on to the 21st century. I have a deep love of the fashions of the past but I agree with other posters that there is nothing obscene about athlete's costumes.

In one sense it can be argued that the creator (whoever you concieve s/he/it made our bodies but a human being makes our clothes. They are only a covering.

I agree with you biglouis - wonder why some people set out to " be offended" ? And on that, I always thought you had to " take offence" rather than " give offence" so surely people can choose whether to take offence, or not?

Too easily offended. Belongs to the Outrage Club.

Totally unreasonable - next there'll be a complaint about a woman taking a football shirt off to reveal a sports crop top underneath. Competition sportswear is designed to mimic nudity in the best interests of the athlete. There's nothing about the human body that's offensive.

As a man, I was fascinated on last night’s South Today to hear a professor of sports science at the University of Portsmouth discussing, in some detail, how the work they had done to develop the very best support bras for the Lionesses had contributed to their success. As with the British Cycling Olympic team, every tiny advantage adds 0.1% or so to eventual success. Nothing obscene ur revealing, just clever academic research and development

I thought they were all there to compete in sports, not in a fashion show! I think they all look gorgeous with wonderful bodies. Much nicer and more natural than any plastic, pumped up celebrity wearing very little more!!

Women essentially wearing no more than bra and knickers….

Elegran

In the original Games in Ancient Greece, EVERY competitor was naked.

But they were all men. Plus, Lycra hadn’t been invented!

I think your view is ridiculous OP. People wear far less on public beaches and athletes wear the clothing that makes their job the easiest. You don’t have to watch them!

nadateturbe

Nannymags I agree. If men can compete in shorts I don't see why females have to wear such revealing clothing.
I have just googled, and really some are ridiculous.
Females nowadays have a different attitude to clothing. Some of the leggings look like they have painted their skin.
It's just not attractive.

Have you considered that it’s the other way around? The men have to wear shorts otherwise their ‘bits’ would fall out when they were running. The women have no such concerns so they can wear the cooler, more streamlined garments ? Also there is choice. The women choose to wear those clothes because it makes it easier to do what they need to do!

Coco51

Women essentially wearing no more than bra and knickers….

Which makes it seem ridiculous that Chloe Kelly got a yellow card for taking off her top.

Coco51

Women essentially wearing no more than bra and knickers….

You mean….like they do at a beach? The scandal!

Can women do nothing without their appearance/dress sense being called in to question?

Whats the problem. We all have the same bits and pieces. There is nothing that we should be ashamed about. Yes modesty was taught to most of us but there is nothing we haven't seen before. I wish people in this country would stop the Victorian nonsense or we would all be wearing coverings from top to toe. These Peopleare first class athletes and wear appropriate clothes for their sport. If your embarrassed don't watch sport. They don't dress like that in the Supermarket.

I have been watching all sorts of different events during the Commonwealth Games. I have seen nothing to offend in what is being worn. The original poster and some others must be easily offended. I suggest they stay away from beaches this summer...hahaha

I sat next to Sally Gunnell at a lunch when she was at the top of her tree, and I asked her about the skimpy bottoms she wore, and did they ride up? She said yes they did which made them uncomfortable and her mum used to sew knicker elastic around the legs. Perhaps the cut and fabric has improved over the years.

They don't dress like that in the Supermarket.

Why not. Everyone is complaining about the heat. Why is everyone not shopping/going to school/ work in skimpy bikinis?

I see young girls walking around in shorts showing their bum cheeks for want of a better phrase. Also revealing leggings that show knickers and thongs.
I prefer when females had some modesty.
There is absolutely no need for athletic wear to be so skimpy.
Many athletes have actually said they find the outfits degrading. They can compete just as well with a little more coverage.

It's not Victorian nonsense, and we don't need to be covered from head to toe. Nothing wrong with a bit of modesty.

Some of the shorts are rather, umm brief! Nothing wrong with any body, but do we need to see so much or so many of them? I hate sport, and OH says he hates athletics, but as it is on most channels there is no escape

Yes, gymnasts and other athletes are IMHO groomed into thinking they have to wear skimpy clothes and the various committees and governing bodies that require young women to wear very brief clothing to participate in sport are culpable. The Norwegian beach handball team were fined for not wearing bikinis, only the female players of course, the men could wear shorts and proper tops. It's sexist and abusive and I'm shocked parents allow their daughters to be forced into such exhibitionism in order to compete.

Galaxy

There have been a number of incidents of female athletes complaining about the clothing they are expected to wear compared to males.

In the Olympics, it was, I think, the Norwegianwomen's beach volleyball team that got fined because they refused to wear tiny bikini bottoms. Good on them.
Also - I do think it's a bit wrong that teen female gymnasts have to wear skimpy leotards (there are rules about how they must show a couple of centimetres of bum). I don't think any female should have to wear an outfit for sport that would require a thorough waxing.