From Sportswear to Streetwear

All the cool kids might think their Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars are just hip canvas shoes. Ditto for Technicolor Nike Air Force Ones. But to the well-trained designer's eye, these kicks mark a significant departure in our fashion history: the idea that clothes designed to be worn for sports can be used as everyday garb. It appears over and over again in our cultural wardrobe: ski jackets in states with cold but no mountains, velour tracksuits on amply proportioned nonathletic types, riding jackets on people far too stylish to get near a messy horse, and sneakers only used for their intended purpose when the wearer is running to catch the bus. Although sportswear fits current fashion trends like a leather driving glove, seeing the early days of everyday sportswear is intriguing. The Goldstein's From Sportswear to Streetwear puts this phenomenon in context, showing how sportswear leapt to everyday clothing and continues to influence just about everything we wear.
Aug. 16-Nov. 2, 2008