Is India Sportswear Ready?

In India where cricket is considered to be a religion and the ripples are also witnessed in the growing popularity of other sports like football and tennis; the market for sportswear in the country is most certainly on the rise. Looking good and keeping fit is the new age survival mantra. We speak with key players in the market to understand the sportswear market in India and how best it remains distinguished from casual wear wear and athleisure.

- Zainab S. Kazi & Rosy Sharma

Youngsters today want to be fit and look cool. Adopting a sport or for that matter even taking up gymming or going for morning/evening walks has become a necessity for the young and old alike today. This again has given a push to the sportswear market in India. Unlike yesteryears where teaming up a t-shirt on track pants for enough before heading out for a walk or going to the gym, today we have brands that specialise in sportswear offering a range of clothing with different functionality as per the need – from sweat free to odour free to comfort to super stretch. So what truly defines sportswear and especially so in the Indian context?

To trace the origin of sportswear as a category, according to Sandeep Jain, Executive Director, Monte Carlo, sportswear has been called America’s main contribution to the history of fashion design. He shares, “Since 1930’s the term has been used to describe both day and evening fashion of relaxed casual wear.” Sonal Jain, Associate Vice President - Brand, Lotto traces the origin of the category to 1920’s. She shares, “To be exact, the sportswear category came into existence in the 1920’s in America. This was basically developed to cater to the needs of the increasingly fast-paced lifestyle of American women. Sportswear at that time was referred to relaxed, casual wear typically worn for spectator sport.”

Adding to the changing dynamics of the category and how it derived more of its inspiration from the hip hop culture of 1980s, Narinder Singh, Managing Director, Numero Uno shares, “Early streetwear brands took inspiration from the DIY aesthetic of punk, new wave, heavy metal and later hip hop cultures. Established sportswear and fashion brands attached themselves to the emerging early 1980’s hip-hop scene.”

What Defines Sportswear?