Female sports clothing is rubbish. AIBU to wear male?

[0None0]

Aibu to wear make sports clothing?

Female tops are strapped and insubstantial, stretch-marks- revealing and draughty.

Male tops are far more substantial, less draughty and a better range of colours and designs.

Female leggings are tight, hot and revealing. Make football shorts are comfortable, cool, cheaper and have pockets.

Male running shoes come in more sizes and a wider range of widths.

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable, but every single shop assistant I have spoken to this morning has tried to steer me towards female clothing.

I don’t want to play sport in skin tight leggings looking like I have wound a reel of shocking pink string around my top half

@0None0

Where are you buying from?

www.next.co.uk/style/st629070/754077#754077

I have several of these or the like from various years. I’m generally a 12 but like baggy so get a 14. I like the long bum cover! Light material too.

www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-trail-running-baggy-shorts-black/_/R-p-305630?mc=8546196&c=BLACK

Pocket at the front!

I would actually say the opposite - that a lot of sports kit is supposedly "unisex" which means "male", and it doesn't fit women properly.

It depends on the sport, but there are several brands that do really nice sports wear for women, including Run Mummy Run, Element Karbon, Tikiboo and Ronhill.

I hate leggings, I have seen far too many camel toes and don't want to join that club.

I get my climbing trousers from Rab and tops from the north face, their t-shirts are loose fitting and long.

In my opinion, sports tops being drafty is a plus. Maybe it's because I live in a hot climate!

Just wear what you feel comfortable in.

I don’t like long baggy tops and I doubt anything in the men’s section would fit me, so I’ll stick to the women’s stuff.

What does 'cut for women' actually mean? It's such a nonsensical phrase

I don’t think so. Men and (most) women are different shapes.

I used to wear mens t-shirts for exercising and they are just not cut for my big boobs (36GG) . Now I buy womens ones and they are a much better fit

I prefer leggings as my substantial thighs get all chafed by anything loose. On top I need at least one tight layer to help my sports bra but unless it's baking I do tend to wear a loose "free" t-shirt from a race in preference over the top.

I do have a couple of mesh backed tops that are nice when it's stupidly hot but it's very much to each their own and choice is good!

Wear whatever works for you, but as others have said there is plenty of choice in women's sportswear. I have a mixture of loose tops and fitted tops, strappy tops, short sleeved and long sleeved tops, thin tops and thicker tops. Then there are the leggings, fitted shorts and loose shorts. I run outside all year round so need clothes appropriate to the weather.

My husband gets annoyed about how much more choice I have than him.

@igelkott2021

I would actually say the opposite - that a lot of sports kit is supposedly "unisex" which means "male", and it doesn't fit women properly.

It depends on the sport, but there are several brands that do really nice sports wear for women, including Run Mummy Run, Element Karbon, Tikiboo and Ronhill.

Very much this! I do martial arts and my uniform is made for men, every woman doing it has to buy a size up as the top comes over your hips and then we either deal with it being baggy elsewhere or tailor it. The trousers are baggy from the knee down but get really tight around the hips and belly especially post csection belly

They tried making a ladies version once upon a time but made it from awful thin fabric so all the women in the sport refused to wear it.

Im tall 5 ft 10 so tops can be short. My leggings are penneys they grand. The dare2b range is nice. Next have nice sports wear. Length is my gripe!

@C8H10N4O2

I always wear mens trainers

Not sure what point you are making. Women's feet are a different shape - look at lasts for male and female feet.

Lots of women wear men's trainers because they can't get women's in the right sizes or there is simply less choice. I've worn mens trainers/hiking boots etc in the past because I'm tall and for years trainer and boot makers assumed women's feet stopped at size 6 so the pitiful subset made for women were too small.

However the fit will be better if it matches the shape of your feet. If your feet are already narrow like mine then it makes a massive difference.

I was obviously born with men's feet then, as I've worn "men's" running shoes for over 20 years because they fit my feet best.

Or maybe some women have wide feet, too?

I have shortish wide feet (6.5) so only in some men's ranges but they do fit well with clever lacing to lock the heel where I'm a bit wider...

@wordsareveryunnecessary

Ds has climbing lessons. The men wear comfortable climbing trousers and t shirts or loose vests. The women wear tight figure hugging leggings and tops that look like bras. Why??

Because they want to?

Mans sports stuff is much better than womens if you are taller. My teen daughter is 5'8", which seems standard for her age group (tall for my generation). They all buy mens sports hoodies and sweaters because the length in both body and sleeves is better. The fabrics in mens tend to be sturdier. Walking boots for her are boys as she has small but wide feet.
It doesn't really matter which section the clothes we buy are in. We all come in different shapes and sizes anyway, so you just wear what fits and suits your body.

Everything is sexualised for women and young girls...even toddler clothes are tight...prefer my girl wearing Lads T-shirt's

I've done a bit of climbing but I'm not good or anything...

I'd definitely wear leggings out of choice, especially if wearing a harness. On top you want freedom of movement in the shoulders. For a bloke this will probably be a loose top although where permitted many prefer no top because less hot (plus posing opportunities...). For a woman you generally need something tight to control boobs and the combination of tight and loose is somehow more annoying than just loose - they bunch on each other. Also in a context where sweat is unhelpful for grip wearing less can help and a sports bra top fulfills the "need a top" rule that the men are obeying.

Can't honestly say I look at what others wear at the gym
I'm there to work out.
I don't care what anyone else is wearing

I don't wear tight tops or anything with straps, I am far too old/fat. I buy nice loose fitting t shirts and either leggings or shorts. Mostly still women's clothing. I buy quite a lot of t shirts from under armour. Occasionally Uniqlo. Leggings from sweaty Betty. I have a nice pair of shorts from Aurique (Amazon own brand).
I wear DH cycling shorts.

Often wondered about this watching sport on TV. How come top athletes if male can wear basically the singlet and shorts combo of old, when women

Posted too soon…!… women athletes end up in bikinis basically …if it’s more aerodynamic then why aren’t the men wearing skimpies too?

@SatNightFever

Posted too soon…!… women athletes end up in bikinis basically …if it’s more aerodynamic then why aren’t the men wearing skimpies too?

It's interesting that some elite women runners don't, and wear vests and longer shorts rather than crop tops and very short shorts; I was watching the Monaco Diamond League athletics meet at the weekend and pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw was wearing something approximating a tri-suit rather than the crop top and short shorts the others were wearing.

I am not a fan of running vests, although some have better shapes than others. If I wear one, I wear it over a t-shirt.

I often shop in men's section. If I can find better fitting things there, so be it. Especially if its sports/leisure wear. It's not like shopping for suits and ties.

@SatNightFever

Posted too soon…!… women athletes end up in bikinis basically …if it’s more aerodynamic then why aren’t the men wearing skimpies too?

They do - look at Farah, Kipchoge, Bolt, Gatlin, Lemaitre, all the GB men's sprinters.

Remember back, and think of how Linford Christie's 'lunchbox' became a widely used idiom. Which is why some men prefer to cover up.

In terms of crop tops, that's a reflection of general fashion. You don't see men in them anywhere but plenty of some choose them

Not do any elite athletes settle for kit that does not work well for them

(I do sometimes wonder if shorter shorts are chosen because of where it leaves the tan line. Something that people may or may not choose to care about, but when you train outdoors I can see why it might become a consideration)

TIL I have male feet.

And to an previous poster, why don't you think girls play rugby? Plenty of them do!