Fashion and Sport
ByCamille
A fabulous exhibition was held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in spring 2024 on the relationship between fashion and sport.
You will tell us: fashion and sport belong to very different spheres: on the one hand elegance and on the other performance. And yet… this exhibition explored the links between fashion and sport and the social issues that arise from them.
Our favorite stories ?
- Until the 20th century, elegance took precedence over performance: women played tennis in dresses but pockets were added to store the balls. Big class.
- On horseback, women rode side-saddle until the 20th century, being astride being considered indecent. This is how the first panties were born, worn under dresses to preserve modesty in the event of a fall. They represent a step towards women’s pants!
- On tennis day René Lacoste would have cut off his shirt sleeves, which were too restrictive, to give birth to the current polo shirt! Because yes, at the time we played tennis in shirts.
- It was during the interwar period that we began to design sports clothing strictly speaking, such as the tracksuit which, worn over the outfit to warm the body after training, became a famous example.
- Fashion houses have put themselves at the service of sportswomen with the first example being Jean Patou who in 1919 designed the first short pleated dress for tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen.
- Today, the Olympic committees call on the big names in fashion to design the clothes for the official delegations of athletes! Come and discover our unusual guided tours to discuss them with us!
Link for the Museum of Decorative Arts: Mode et sport, d’un podium à l’autre – du 20 septembre 2023 au 7 avril 2024 (madparis.fr)F