PE Kit Debates

Do you listen to podcasts? This is a great episode from The Game Changers podcast all about what women wear to play sport.

We are starting to see more stories in the news about what women wear when they’re being active. Beach volleyball, tennis, cricket, football, rugby and gymnastics have been talked about for all the wrong reasons really – we should be talking about great female athletes and not what kit they have on.

But in a way, it’s great that the discussion is happening to break down another barrier for girls to exercise. Football and rugby clubs are looking at white shorts as part of the kit for women and girls and questioning if they’re a good idea. They’re starting to understand more about periods and the fact that white shorts make period leaks almost impossible to hide. The same applies to tennis and cricket ‘whites’ (a term that means white kit) and it’s great news that the Wimbledon tennis championships are reconsidering their very strict rules around what female players can wear (female players at other tournaments can wear any colour they like!).

The Norwegian beach volleyball team were the first to draw the world’s attention to the skimpy bikini bottoms that were part of their uniform. They were nearly fined because they didn’t stick to the regulations in a handball competition, choosing to wear shorts instead. The European Handball Federation didn’t fine them and the Norwegian team managed to ignite the debate around what girls wear to play sport.

If you could choose absolutely any clothing, what would be your ideal clothing to wear for sport and being active? The podcast suggests that choice is key – some girls may want to wear skorts, some shorts, some leggings and some tracksuit bottoms and perhaps they’ll change their mind from one day to the next depending on how they’re feeling.

We’d love to hear your views so get in touch and if you’re still not sure, why not listen to the excellent panel on the podcast?