Why do female athletes wear what they do?

[800wow]

There aren't any rules (as there have been in some sports) so the women are competing in next to nothing through choice.

Is it comfortable? They all have a amazing bodies, but do they all like being on TV dressed this way? Is it performance? If so, why don't the men also do it?

Is there pressure from sponsors either directly or because the most 'saleable'get more sponsorship or advertising contracts?

I'm genuinely curious as to why they make these choices. I run and I wear less in competition than I do in training but wouldn't find high cut knickers comfortable to run in.

We were discussing this today as a lot of the ladies have tan lines suggesting they wear shorts more often. I don't know why they choose to wear skimpier outfits for competing.

That's the point. There's no need for a campaign, they could if they wanted to. And whilst the first might be a bit unusual, if it gives a competitve advantage? I'm sure someone would do it, and then more would follow.

Do the shot putters wear such skimpy garments?

Holly Bradshaw (pole vaulter) talked about how the women are objectified and she always wore more of a triathlon-type suit than the usual crop top and shorts.

Some of the younger athletes like Megan Keith tend to wear the short shorts rather than knickers.

None of the throwers do, they usually wear leggings or longer shorts.

Shorts for training, buns for competition. It’s a psychological thing for a lot of elite track and field athletes. Part of race prep.

Women’s bodies sell, always will, and nothing anyone says will change that.

They are all sponsored and I would imagine their individual sponsors may have something to say about their clothing choices, even if quietly behind closed doors.

If men want, they can campaign for sure.

I don't know why they choose to wear skimpier outfits for competing.

Because as many people have said, for ease of movement and during competitions, that fraction of a second might make all the difference. I also wear different shoes for competition than training, it's not because I want to show off my ankles or anything.

This article here covers this topic.

Runners feel less restricted, female anatomy is different to males so shorts can bunch up and cause them to chafe, plus constant rubbing across the thigh from shorts can cause quad muscle damage.

Men’s bodies are more efficient at sweating, able to produce more sweat, which cools them more easily and faster. By exposing more skin, women can achieve greater air movement and sweat evaporation.

The women mainly say that they feel less restricted on the hips and thighs(which differ from mens), they like the 'game day outfit' effect, cooler, overall more comfortable.

https://www.runnersworld.com/about/a73249212/track-field-broadcasting-guidelines-critics-misconceptions/

Men are not always the blame.
Do they tell women to go to the gym wearing next to nothing NO its her choice.

You can imagine all you want but that's not how it works. They are offered a wide range of team kit and pick what they want. Many runners pick buns (briefs) for competition wear but certainly not all. There is a wide choice of vests, sleeved tops, and cropped tops.

Athletes pick what they pick for a variety of factors: comfort, heat management, aerodynamics, range of movement, and, yes, fashion.

Comfort! You don't want to be competing in anything that flaps around. And it's not just women, look at male cyclists and male swimmers.

I grapple (Brazilian juijitsu) and I wear short shorts or leggings and a tight tshirt (rash guard)
tight fitting looks better and is more efficient for the sport and short shorts are cooler in the summer

I wear what i feel comfortable in- I work hard for my body so I don’t aim to hide it- like wise I dress appropriately and nothing falls out

Women are not a single entity, so I expect there are a variety of reasons. For some it will be comfort, some will want to show off a great body, others will be thinking commercially.

It's only a problem if there is no choice. Gymnasts now have the option to wear catsuit-style leotards and some choose to, others don't. Neither choice is superior.

I do not get the impression women in athletics are forced to wear these suits for want of other options, but I could be wrong.

Male swimmers of course show far more skin than female swimmers since bodysuits were banned.

Seeing what some young women wear in the street I think your question is misdirected. At least female athletes shorts aren't transparent.

No it isn’t

They can't - full suits are not allowed in competitive swimming (men or women, and men cannot wear suits that cover their top halves). Alongside a host of particular 'makes' of suits, which are deemed to give the swimmer to much of an advantage.

Women can wear kneeskins (DD1 has one, costs a bloody fortune and only really good for a handful of competitions) and men can wear jammers.

And trust me, they are not comfortable. DD1 needs help to get into hers as it's designed to be tight, so it usually takes the two of us 30 minutes to get it on. Plus once it's wet...unless she's taking it off for the day (i.e. competition over), she's stuck with it on as she can't get it back on.

They might benefit from being more covered up, but the suits are not comfortable or indeed practical.

My niece who has run for England gets a massive choice of what to wear and she chooses the most comfortable and what makes her feel good.

They can choose tea shirt and shorts and some do.
I assume they choose whatever they feel more comfortable in and compete better in

It always make me laugh seeing so many female athletes pulling their knickers out from their bum crack. I also can't see how on earth they can be comforable

The crop top is a great because it's a bra and means you've just got one layer. If you didn't go with the crop top you'd have a bra and a top over, or some hybrid thing that would flap or ride up your middle all the time. A body suit might be better (basically a leotard) but might feel more restrictive - never tried running in one but I thing men have sometimes gone for that option.

High cut knickers might be preferred because lower cut ones can dig into your leg a bit when you stretch, but also they're just warmer.

It's been decades since I was athletic, but generally speaking I would choose the option with the least fabric and least tight elastic strips. Everything except bra support basically gets in the way.

I think men are more likely to be concerned about "modesty" in athletic wear because they're socialized away from the lycra look (until they become middle aged cyclists..but thats another thread (or 10!).

What I’ve never understood is why so many athletes have long hair and chunky jewellery flapping around (both men and women)? Surely in a sport where fractions of a second matter, this can’t be aerodynamic? But I guess they have tested this and the difference it makes must be so minimal that it doesn’t matter. So probably clothing choice doesn’t matter all that much either and it’s personal choice

Wasn't there an article somewhere about the different 'uniforms' a volleyball team had to wear, the women's was basically skimpy bikinis and the men's was a much more covering up outfit, it was so blatant!