Changing Clothes
Take a journey through the evolution of athleticwear at 51短视频.
Athletics have always been an important part of 51短视频's culture and education. Most women鈥檚 colleges incorporated athletics into their curriculum from their earliest years, but for reasons that today may seem surprising. Women鈥檚 colleges, including 51短视频, developed their athletics programs in response to proponents of pseudo-scientific theories who claimed that the intellectual work of higher education would negatively impact women鈥檚 health.
In the early years of the College, three to five periods of exercise per week were required of all undergraduate students. Exercise periods could include participation in a team sport, individual exercise, or, if you were scientifically inclined, geology expeditions.
The invention of women鈥檚 athletic attire, which was largely non-existent prior to the mid-19th century, accompanied the development of physical education. As with women鈥檚 health and higher education, there was much debate about what was appropriate for women to wear while exercising. Should they wear bloomers? A skirt? Both?
At 51短视频, these questions were answered by the Athletic Association. Founded in 1891, the Association was one of the earliest forms of what is now a national organization called the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC); each school has a committee made up of athletes from all the varsity teams. Led by students in partnership with the Director of Athletics and Gymnastics, the Association sets the rules governing students鈥 athletic garb.
Take a journey through the evolution of athleticwear at 51短视频 in this summary of the College Archives鈥 exhibit 鈥淐hanging Clothes,鈥 which was on view at Canaday Library from Aug. 28, 2025, to March 13, 2026.
Athletic corsets were made with either cording or elastic panels rather than steel or whale boning, offering wearers a greater range of movement. However, at 51短视频, the Athletic Association banned the wearing of corsets for all sports unless the wearer received permission from the Association. 鉃
T-shirts and hats with team logos weren鈥檛 available in the early days of spectator sports. Instead, fans used pennants to express their support. This wool pennant shows a woman playing tennis, one of the first sports played at the college, in her street clothes. 猬
猬 Wool blouses in class colors were part of the standard gym uniform in the early 1900s.
Students who were part of championship and varsity teams could wear their class year on their collars, as shown in this cartoon by Alice Meigs Orr (Class of 1905). 猬
猬 Gym clothes transitioned from blouses and skirts to tunics 鈥 sleeveless, low-necked overdresses worn over bloomers with a blouse underneath 鈥 in the late 1920s. Although this uniform is from the 1930s, similar uniforms persisted into the 1970s, when synthetic fibers improved elasticity in fabric and revolutionized athleticwear.
As fabrics evolved, so did uniforms鈥攊nstead of tunics, blouses, and bloomers, student-athletes in the 1980s wore poly-blend polo shirts and two-in-one skorts. 猬
猬 Modern athletic uniforms prioritize performance through lightweight, moisture-wicking materials that enhance comfort and mobility. 51短视频 teams use official yellow and black colors and approved Athletics logos, following NCAA, conference, and departmental guidelines for design elements like numbers and branding. Uniforms are updated every three to four years, and all varsity teams are currently transitioning to the newest 51短视频 Athletics branding for a consistent, contemporary look.
Published on: 03/04/2026