We’ve seen a lot of people wear streetwear, which is a growing fashion trend. From Streetwear – hoodie from FourOneTwo and other brands, down to luxury shoes worth being a collector’s item, you’ll find at least one person walking around in such style!
Many brands that offer Streetwear t-shirt styles and other similar articles of clothing come from sportswear brands, taking advantage of the huge growth. However, it does make you wonder about the difference between actual sportswear and streetwear, if there even is one.
Streetwear vs Sportswear: What’s the Difference?
Because streetwear clothing would mostly come from sports brands, it makes you wonder if it’s possible to interchange these two. Or if they have differences that you didn’t know about.
The best way you can distinguish sportswear and streetwear is by how they function.
Typically, streetwear is used for casual wear, for when going out to the mall, hanging out with family or friends, or doing light activities.
Sportswear, on the other hand, is made for sports. As the name suggests, it’s worn for exercise and physical activity, made of fabrics that keep you comfortable and moving freely as you perform functional exercises that would have your heart rate up and sweating more than usual.
With sportswear, it IS possible to use it as casual wear. It’s why you find people wearing yoga leggings with friends at the mall, or loose sports tops as they do their groceries. Sportswear is pretty versatile in this sense, especially since there are newer styles and designs that suit various situations other than workouts.
With streetwear, it is also possible to use these as sportswear, but this depends on the material it is made of. Not all streetwear is made of the comfy and versatile material, which can result in damage and/or discomfort. For instance, Nike’s matching tracksuits may be made of pure cotton or glossy materials, which aren’t made for high-intensity exercises, but suitable for a brisk or peaceful walk around the neighborhood.
So it’s all about checking the tags and knowing what the streetwear is made of to see if it’s safe and proper to use for exercising. You can also see if it’s suitable to wear for sports based on the brand (luxury brands may be made of more delicate materials that are prone to wear and tear).
Furthermore, the overall style of streetwear may be unsuitable to wear for workouts, which is another distinctive difference when compared to sportswear. Streetwear is typically loose with more layers or worn more for style and aesthetics. Loose clothes aren’t best to use when exercising, as you want something snug but not too tight to avoid your clothes from getting tangled with parts of your body or the sports equipment you use.
While both sportswear and streetwear have similarities and come from similar brands at times, they shouldn’t be interchanged!
Wrapping It Up
While sportswear is becoming the new streetwear, there are still a few differences you should take note! While you may use them interchangeably, it depends on the materials they are made of.
