Style in the football field: accessories, colors and technologies in soccer's fashion

THE AESTHETIC VALUE

Belts, jerseys, shorts, caps, embroidery and socks. The practice of football is adorned by a series of sports accessories that descend from its beginnings. In Brazil, even if initially imported, clothing and props attributed a status of modernity to practitioners. After a few decades, these accessories became part of the Culture and History of football in Brazil and in the world.

The sports uniforms did not differ from the clothes used in the early twentieth century. The cut and the fabric of the shirts and sports shorts, was the same for the other costumes of the time. Bands, stripes and colors were visually differentiating features for the first uniforms.

The aesthetic pattern of stripes launched by the English League has been replicated in most countries where football bacame popular.

Clubs also invested in ornaments, colors and embroidery. The uniform was also part of the social distinction.

That's because the balls up to that time had thick seams. If, on dry days, they could hurt, they became even more dangerous on rainy days when the ball weitght doubled due to water retention.

The end of the caps is associated with an invention of three Argentines: Tossolini, Valbonesi and Polo revolutionized football with a new ball model. They left behind the seams and knots when using an inner chamber inflated by injection and with a valve for exit and entrance of air.

The denudation of the bodies from the 1930s was a custom change that jumped to the eye, especially noticeable in the length of necklines, skirts and shorts.

THE USE OF SKIRTS

The skirts became shorter when the women demanded more comfortable cut clothing that would allow them to walk and work more easily.

RAW COTTON

The lighter shade of tissues or "raw", without dyeing, were the most popular in the manufacture of the first sports uniforms in Brazil.

Until the 1930s, the jerseys were made of raw cotton, which resulted in the retention of about 50% of liquids, be it sweat or rain. The shorts, wide and usually tied with belts or drawstrings, have also proved heavy and inappropriate to athletes' performance over time.

COTTON FABRIC

From the 1930s, raw cotton was replaced by cotton knit. Lighter, it did not deteriorate so easily with use. In favor of field performance, uniforms got shorter, wider collars and smaller shorts.

THE ELASTANE

With the invention of elastane thread in 1959, there was a revolution in the textile industry from the 1960s. In sports, clothing gained in elasticity and resistance to perforations, in addition to becoming even lighter and with lower costs for staining.

NEW CUTS: MICRO SHORTS AND CANOE COLLAR

In the 1970s one more change: the men's micro shorts and jersey collar canoe. These changes allowed players to move more vigorously and easily. The micro-shorts lost their "hegemony" only from the late 1980s, with the replacement of the waistband with an elastic strap.

THE POLYESTER

In the 1980s, it started the era of mixed tissues, synthetic and natural fibers. Polyester itself or blended with cotton. Already in 1990, as football jerseys is produced entirely in Polyester. Despite the lightness and strength of the material, they were uncomfortable to retain much sweat, since as synthetic fibers does not retain liquids. The cut of the shirt and shorts, returned to the larger model.

THE DRY-FIT

Since the late 1990's, Dry Fit has greatly raised the comfort of sports tissues  The material absorbs the liquid and eliminates through the outside of the fabric, facilitating the evaporation of sweat.
One hundred years after the emergence of modern products, textile technology has finally solved the problem of fluid retention, which makes uniforms weight heavily on the body of athletes.

CLIMACOOL AND CLIMALITE

From the 2000s onwards, the techniques called Climalite and ClimaCool, ensure the evaporation of sweat even faster. In addition, the outside of the fabric of the t-shirts has become elastic and impermeable, keeping it dry in conditions of extreme humidity.

TEXTILES AND PET BOTTLES

In 2010, the Brazilian team used jerseys made from recycled PET bottles (about 8 melted plastic bottles for the production of fine threads to make the fabric), combining technology, sustainability and comfort. With about 200 small holes on each side laser cut, they help the circulation of the air throughout the torso and the dispersion of heat. In place of the thread, glue to join the parts of the shirt.

These small brooches have become pieces of exchange between athletes, fans and collectors, mainly for stamping colors or designs that characterize their countries of origin or clubs.

The discreet color jackets helped create the visual identity of the group, from the players to the coaching staff.

Until 1958, field replacements were not allowed. The reserve players, therefore, did not dispute the matches, watching their colleagues in the stands, in "gala" costumes.