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In pictures: The evolution of women's sportswear

In the early 20th century, women's sports clothing was not designed for them to excel, it was restrictive and affected their mobility. Donning long dresses and hats to keep the "feminine" look intact on court or field was not only uncomfortable but also impacted women's athletic performance.

Over the years, as women have become more active in sport, their sportswear has also become more practical - though there are some exceptions.

As part of the BBC 100 Women challenge tackling sexism in sport, we take a look at how women's sportswear has developed over the decades.

Tennis

 

Image copyright Getty Images British tennis player Charlotte Cooper, who was the first female Olympic champion, plays tennis in a long costume which covers her ankle.
Image caption British tennis player Charlotte Cooper was the first female Olympic champion

 

Women competed in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. Female athletes made up just over 2% of those taking part and competed in five sports, including tennis. At the time women wore long skirts which covered their ankles and long sleeves.

French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen was revolutionary. As well as dominating female tennis in her era, she changed the style of women's dress. Lenglen swapped long skirts for short-sleeved pleated dresses to compete in style, and also wore a bandeau, which became her trademark.

"All women players should go on their knees in thankfulness to Suzanne for delivering them from the tyranny of corsets," said American tennis champion Elizabeth Ryan, a contemporary of Lenglen.

 

Image copyright Getty Images French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen wears a knee-length dress and a bandeau as she takes part in a competition in 1926.
Image caption Suzanne Lenglen's knee-length white dresses - seen here at a competition in 1926 - made her stand out on court

 

The clothes female tennis stars now wear is much more suited to the fast-paced nature of the modern game. Players are also pushing the boundaries to be stylish on court. Tennis ace Venus Williams launched her own fashion label in 2007.

 

Image copyright Getty Images Venus Williams sports a black and red lacy dress at the French Open in Paris in 2010.
Image caption Venus Williams sported a black and red lacy dress at the 2010 French Open, a clothing choice that created tabloid headlines

 

Synchronised swimming

The sport is now synonymous with glitzy and colourful costumes, and waterproof make-up.

But it wasn't always like that.

 

Image copyright Getty Images Synchronised swimmer in the star formation at Wembley pool.
Image caption A team calling themselves 'Mermaids' at Wembley pool in London in 1937. They toured around the country

 

The sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1984, and a lot of thought and time now goes into aesthetics.

Canadian competitor Erin Willson told the Globe and Mail newspaper ahead of the 2012 London Olympics: "We're a very artistic sport. So the the whole look is important.. you have to have the perfect hair, the perfect suits, the perfect bodies."

 

Image copyright Getty Images Brazilian women sport black and red ornamental bikinis as they prepare to dive at the synchronised swimming competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Image caption The Brazil team perform at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

 

Handball

Isabela Fleury, Brazilian handball player and one of the BBC's 100 Women this yea r, is part of a Rio de Janeiro team who recently rebelled against standard beach handball bikini outfits for women, causing a media stir.

"The last time we tried to play we were wearing shorts and they asked us to take them off as they wanted us to wear speedos," she said. "We protested and they threatened us so we had to take the shorts off and wear bikinis to play the game. They are now changing the rules."

 

Image copyright Getty Images Two groups of women wearing black and white mid-length sportswear enjoy a handball game in a Berlin park 1935.
Image caption Two top German women's handball teams enjoy a game in a Berlin park in 1935

 

In 2014, a row also erupted in the Basque region of Spain after women beach handball players complained that the regulations for women's kit were sexist, with men allowed to wear loose clothing.

 

Image copyright Getty Images Shen Ping of China is seen shooting a ball during the Women's Handball Final at the 2nd Asian Beach Games in Muscat. The player is sporting a green bikini.

 

Football

Women's football kits have links to the suffragette movement in Britain. Lady Florence Dixie, a prominent suffragette and president of the British Ladies Football Club, saw football as a weapon to subvert Victorian dress.

"There is no reason why football should not be played by women, and played well too, provided they dress rationally and relegate to limbo the straitjacket attire in which fashion delights to attire them," she wrote in 1895.

In 1921, the UK's Football Association banned women from playing on FA-affiliated pitches. It said football "was quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged". The ban was finally lifted in 1971.

The Honeyballers: Women who fought to play football

 

Image copyright Getty Images Women of Preston Football Club at a training session in 1939.
Image caption Members of Preston Ladies Football Club at a training session in 1939

 

In 2014, FIFA officially allowed players to wear head coverings, including hijabs, while playing football for religious reasons. The world football body had previously banned headscarves by arguing they could put players at-risk of suffering a serious head or neck injury.

The secret history of women's football

 

Image copyright Getty Images Women playing football in hijab in Kabul in 2013.
Image caption Afghan football players take to the field in Kabul

 

All photos copyright.

 

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100 Women Challenge logo

 

What is 100 Women?

BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. In 2017, we're challenging them to tackle four of the biggest problems facing women today - the glass ceiling, female illiteracy, harassment in public spaces and sexism in sport.

With your help, they'll be coming up with real-life solutions and we want you to get involved with your ideas. Find us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter and use #100Women

 

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-41742378

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