Shifting Styles: Basketball Uniforms

Every time basketball season arrives, people from all walks of life come together to cheer and eat nachos to celebrate a victory, or to mourn the loss of their favorite team. If you are a diehard basketball fan since you were a kid, then you’ve noticed the transformation of basketball uniforms thru the years.

Basketball uniforms have been the subject of experimentation seeing them go from the shortest shorts into baggy pants. Is there any sport that hasn’t made too many changes from their original uniform? Well, yes and that is baseball. Baseball uniforms stayed closest to their roots and it drives millions of fans to watch in the stadiums and eat ice cream while chanting their tunes. Traditional baseball has its long history of sports uniforms.

In the 1920s, basketball became a recreational and competitive sport. Initially, the uniforms were pleated and quilted in design. Eventually, they were made using lighter and moveable material. The women’s uniforms had a drastic, unglamorous turn at this time. Originally, the female uniforms were skirts and replaced by more chic designs. The men’s uniforms had a slightly comical moment in the 70s. The 70s was a time when the fashion trend was wearing short shorts, the tightest jerseys and showing a lot of leg. 20 years later, the sport broke tradition and the design of the uniform was totally its opposite. During the 90s, the shorts were sagging and this began a fashion trend that left most mothers horrified. From the tight white shorts, it transcended to the baggy shorts that displayed the player’s underwear. You’ve literally seen it all, including the brand of his underwear!

The wonderful thing about baseball is its consistency. Their uniforms have barely changed from its original design. There were barely some modifications made like the straw hat and the flannel shirt, but baseball has meant to stay close to its origins. The only time that the players would change their uniform is when they would play a home game or an away game. The most significant design change made on baseball uniforms was its switch from using vertical stripes to the horizontal ones. Of course, they did away with the straw hat and instead replaced it with the now popular baseball cap. It’s a fashion statement for baseball players and their fans to wear the jersey and cap of their favorite team.