Led by the England football Lionesses campaign to wear blue shorts instead of white, other sports are changing how females present themselves on the field of play or in the exercise environment.
Kit sponsors, Nike have introduced a ‘leak liner’ to the shorts of the England football strip and will also put this in place for other teams that have qualified for the Women’s World Cup this summer.
The Daily Mail reported that: Charlotte Harris, senior women's designer at Nike Global Apparel Design, said: 'We know for the first 45 minutes [of a match] they can't leave the pitch and for the first nine minutes on average they're thinking about the potential of leaking [if they're on their period, or if they're about to.
British Gymnastics has allowed gymnasts to wear a combination of leotards —shorts — leggings and unitards in competition for some time. Now at the request of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Squad, no national leotards or replicas supplied by Milano Pro-Sport will feature white on the bottom half. This is due to concerns about leaks during periods.
Sports hijabs are also accepted and are now stocked in the official store alongside unitards — enabling Muslim girls to access gymnastics safely. On the international stage German gymnasts have set an example by debuting unitards in a bid to show that athletes should have a choice in what they wear.
Even Wimbledon has ditched its history of insisting on an all-white kit to allow female players to wear dark-coloured shorts underneath their white skirts. This follows protests from the ‘Address The Dress Code campaign’ group.
These changes are allowing females to feel more confident and comfortable when on their menstrual cycle. Enabling conversations about periods and how they affect performance from beginner to elite level. A chance for young athletes to understand their menstrual cycles.
The kit is available to complement other traditional forms of protection through the early stages of puberty into adulthood. Concerns are not just felt by the young. Period pants have been available for a while from retailers such as Marks and Spencers who stock a comprehensive range of styles and colours for everyday wear.
The new Nike One Leak Protection Range offers shorts that have an ultra-thin liner that helps prevent leaks when worn as a backup to normal period protection during sport and exercise. Available in both adult and child sizes, they can be worn alone or under other clothing.
Sarai who is a Hip-Hop Dancer said: ”When I put them on, they honestly just feel like normal shorts. They're really comfortable, and having that extra protection feels safer”.
Even Wuka is joining the revolution for change by introducing a period swimming costume to its range. Sold through Mailsports this costume removes the need for any protection during swimming.
A great opportunity for change. Trying to promote fair and equal access to specialised clothing — footwear — variety and choice — on and off the pitch. Something men have been privileged to receive for many years. Now the balance is starting to be met.
The Daily Mail — New Lionesses kit ahead of World Cup: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11932461/Leah-Williamson-models-new-Lionesses-kit-ahead-World-Cup-summer.html
The Guardian — Wimbledon allow dark shorts due to players’ period concerns: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/nov/17/wimbledon-allow-dark-undershorts-due-to-female-players-period-concerns-tennis
Sports hijab and Unitards from British Gymnastics:https://store.british-gymnastics.org/products/british-gymnastics-sports-hijab
M&S Period Knickers Range: https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/lingerie/period-knickers
See Nikes New One Leak Protection Range here: https://www.nike.com/gb/w?q=nike%20one%20leak%20protection%20period&vst=nike%20one%20leak
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