Fashion and Extreme Sports
Although it’s still not exactly “mainstream,” extreme sports have become incredibly popular over the last decade or so. Sports like surfing, snowboarding and BMX still don’t draw the crowds that football and baseball do, but they’ve been slowly creeping into the collective consciousness of sports fans everywhere in surprising ways. One area where these sports have had a major influence is in the world of fashion. BMX apparel and other kinds of sports fashion have become very popular not just with extreme athletes, but with people from all walks of life.
From a certain angle, the rise of extreme sports fashion isn’t surprising. Sportswear has always been popular with athletes and non-athletes alike. Not only is sportswear built for comfort, but they fit perfectly with most casual clothing styles in the United States. Sportswear has gone from being strictly for athletes in the early 20th Century to being what most people imagine when they think of casual dress. Fashion designers now regularly incorporate sportswear elements into their work, even in clothing that is not intended to be casual. These days, it’s hard not to go out in public and see people wearing jerseys, baseball caps and other clothing originally designed as sportswear even when there is no sporting event happening. Sportswear has become all-purpose casual wear.
Of course, comfort and a casual look aren’t the only reasons why sports gear has become so popular. As the name implies, extreme sports can be dangerous. Professional skateboarding at the very least requires pads and a helmet, and the right BMX apparel can save BMX bikers from some really nasty injuries. At a glance, this might not mean much to someone who would never step onto a skateboard or BMX bike, but the protection offered by some extreme sports gear can be useful in other situations. The heavy fleece jackets worn by snowboarders are some of the warmest winter jackets available, and the shoes worn by skateboarders can take a beating and last much longer than most sneakers.
Because of the popularity of these high adrenalin sports, many clothing designers have begun to market that extreme sportswear to the mainstream. People are still probably more likely to wear a football jersey than BMX apparel in casual situations, but the growing popularity of sports fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed. Many professional extreme athletes have their own clothing lines now, and it has gotten to the point where many people wear the clothes without having any knowledge of sports. Many just like the clothing itself, which can probably be considered the ultimate victory for any clothing designer.
In the end, the popularity of extreme sports fashion isn’t all that different from the popularity of most other sportswear. Most people ultimately wear things like BMX apparel because it fits in with the casual style of dress that is so popular in the United States. On top of that, most of this clothing is durable as well as stylish. Extreme sports are still seen as a niche, but many of the fashions associated with it could become mainstream in the next few years.
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