MAN F RI DAY THE OLYMPIC ATHLETIC L OOK
Sales of sports and active-wear are booming, but a little Lycra goes a long way, says Sophie Warburton
We love an Olympic stat. After featuring in the Rio Opening Ceremony, the song The Girl from Ipanema was listened to more than 40,000 times a day – a rise of 1,200 per cent – according to music streaming website Spotify.
During the Games, user matches on the dating app Tinder in the Olympic village increased 129 per cent. Nike, the key clothing sponsor of Team USA saw its shares rise 7 per cent over the course of the Olympics. Lyst.com, the world’s biggest fashion site (which collates items from over 12,000 retailers), saw the sales of sports- and activewear increase by 68 per cent over the twoweek Olympic period.
There was a 110 per cent rise in British searches for performance trainers; page views of Speedos saw an increase of 20 per cent compared with the week before the Olympics; 16,000 people searched for ‘‘cycling shorts’’ during the Games, leading to a pair of Le Coq Sportif ’s bib shorts selling out the day after Jason Kenny won his sixth gold medal in the velodrome. Racy.
While we encourage this new sporting enthusiasm, one thing must be kept in mind at all times: approach Lyrca with caution and respect.
Merino stripe jersey, £105, Le Coq Sportif (lecoqsportif.com)
Merino is more forgiving than the usual polyester-mix cycling jersey, while still offering many of the same technical properties. Le Coq Sportif has stylish options for any self-respecting MAMIL.
Mission one sock, £12.99, Stance (kitbox.co)
If you want to look really in the know, Stance socks are a must-have. A favourite among the Crossfit gym-scene, the socks apparently make weight lifting safer. Confused as to how? Us too. We think it’s just an excuse to look good. For top marks, make sure you wear yours pulled up.
HeatGear® Armour CoolSwitch Supervent Short Sleeve Shirt, £40, Under Armour (underarmour.co.uk)
Sports sponsorship had a rough ride when Under Armour’s ambassador Michael Phelps was photographed for the cover of Sports Illustrated wearing tracksuit trousers by its arch nemesis, Nike. Its HeatGear® Armour CoolSwitch Supervent Short Sleeve Shirt, I’m told, however, is second to none.
UltraBoost shoes, £129.95, adidas (adidas.com)
Adidas – official outfitter of Team GB – calls its Ultra Boost style the “best running sneaker ever”. With legions of loyal followers, in both the fashion and fitness worlds, Ultra Boosts seem to fly off the shelves. Best not to hang around.
Blaze watch, £179.99 (fitbit.com)jm
FitBit’s latest launch, the Blaze, is in gold medal position for fitness trackers. Sweat, rain and splash proof, the watch offers endless sports stats, including continuously measuring your heart rate, workout summaries and sleep tracking. Built-in extras include music control, call and text notifications and wireless syncing.