The 'Supreme' guide to sports (wear): Let the games begin
Manila, Philippines - I’m not what you’d call sporty. I’m one of the boys, in other ways. Not including, perhaps, the daily exercise of my purchasing power. My cosmic conception of cardio (“It’s to take care of my heart…”). That time I sprained my ankle shopping (I missed a step at Hollister, back when I liked boys-that-wore-Abercrombie-and-Fitch…). My pitiful average on assists. (When someone makes a pass, why do I always miss it?). The fact that my bloodstream regularly gets doped with apple pie shots at Relik (“I shoot!!! _ _ _ They score… _ _ _”). And how, when you say “ball,” I think mice (rodent henchmen). And men (Prince Charming).
Which brings me to tonight.
This year’s much-awaited Preview Ball is all about sportswear — perhaps the biggest trend for 2012, and thus, the inspiration for the magazine’s annual night out. To be honest, it’s a tricky dress code, “athletic chic,” but read on for the Supreme play-by-play.
Don’t book too many references at once. That many sports metaphors only work on The Man Show. For example, if you’re doing baseball, suit up as you normally would, then trade in the blazer for a baseball jacket. In the same way, throw on a hooded parka over your traditional bodycon, to skew it Aspen.
The idea of mix-and-match (very applicable, actually, as sportif is all about separates) comes into play when you mix references not from different sports but from different realms altogether. My favorite, right now, is style.com’s callout of fashion’s Wes Anderson moment, as a “distinctive country club-meets-Seventies-rec room aesthetic.” What it is, basically, is a preppy translation of sportswear — sweater vests, knit panels, straight-legged trousers with a visibly ironed front pleat. Prada does Polo Club. Neat.
Following the same stream of thought, Sports, when? As with dating (a favorite cross-country pastime, LOL), timing and placement are very important. First, ask yourself, where am I wearing this to? Am I doing a daytime look or a nighttime look? An outfit of stylized grey sweats with wedge sneakers may be very cool for the daytime, but not chic enough for evening. If you’re coming to the ball, the idea is to elevate the look. Balenciaga did a great job of that, when they formalized diaper shorts in brocade-heavy fabric. In a lot of ways, it’s also about fabric selection. This leads us to our next point.
Sometimes it’s all in the fabric. The obvious ones include spandex, college-hoodie fleece and mesh. But look to other designers as well. Alexander Wang did nylon and neoprene, for his snowboard-and-ski-feel collection for spring/summer. Locally, I adored the plastic raincoats at the Jeffrey Rogador show, which could be equally awesome in a sportif silhouette — plastic, as a new take on sheer, how about it? Fantastic, I would think. And of course, there’s the born-with-taste Stella McCartney, who did Aertex, that hole-y material often associated with village-tournament basketball jerseys and those odd-length puruntong shorts that they come with (she mixed it with paisley, another very country club move). This, in fact, leads us to yet another point…
Mind the hangtags. Size is verrry important. In this case, divorce yourself from notions of “small” or “just right,” and most urgently, “tight.” Bodycon, while tried and tested, deserves to rest once in a while. The movement now is towards oversized proportions — a letterman’s jacket whose shoulders fall over the sides of yours (call it the boyfriend baseball jacket), a pair of sweatpants with a roomier crotch, or a baggy sweatshirt that droops around, and, in effect, shows off your collarbone. Play with proportions befitting creatures of comfort.
So as not to be too obvious, don’t be afraid of exploring new sports. There are infinitely many ways to play the game. Think cheerleader-pleat skirts, figure-skater dresses, racing-stripe suits, Thom-Browne tapered equestrian pants, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. That being said, don’t get too literal. Again, elevate and, on some occasions, formalize. In other words, dress it up. If it’s for day, make sure it’s not too gym-bound. Still, never take yourself too seriously. Sportswear is one of those fun trends that can be high-concept, but never really severe. Imbibe the idea of being a “good sport” and just have fun with it. All is fair in fun and games, they say.
