Everyday, students make fashion choices about what outfit they’re going to wear to school. While there are endless combinations to choose from, certain brands or types of clothing tend to be more popular than others. Recently, clothing from sports equipment brands like Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have become increasingly prevalent in student apparel trends. The sales are not limited to those who play sports anymore, as athletes and other students alike are seen now more than ever wearing athletic brands to enhance their appearance outside of sports activities.
What makes us migrate towards these sport-based brands over other brands?
Junior Diana Gong gives her opinion on the trend, saying, “it all started when we were little and started bandwagoning, because, probably before third grade, kids didn’t really care what they wore. But especially around middle school people got really self conscious; like… ‘oh that guy’s wearing Elites? I [have to] wear Elites now.’ So [everyone] started bandwagoning then…it just made you biased towards those brands.”
According to psychologist Peter Noel Murray, fMRIs show that consumers create preferences based off of emotions regarding the brand. Connections and social identity are among the many principles that influence consumer choice in sports brands and brand names in general. Seeing others donning certain apparel often drives an individual to buy similar clothing in order to define themselves as a member of a group. As more and more people invest in clothing from popular brands, an increasing amount of buyers join in on the trend. Furthermore, advertisements utilize endorsements and targeted marketing in order to embrace people’s desire to identify with what’s popular.
The “Curry Shoe” by Under Armour, endorsed by popular athlete and Warriors point-guard Stephen Curry, helped the brand increase sales. According to MarketWatch and Forbes, the company passed Adidas to become second only to Nike in the sportswear market in 2014, although Adidas has since reclaimed its second-place position. The popularity wasn’t due to an obvious pincrease in quality, but was a result of the nearly four million dollar contract Curry signed with Under Armour. Celebrity endorsements are a huge part of the marketing world; companies fight for the hottest celebrity to bandwagon with in order to rake up the mass proceeds.
Adidas has dominated the market for soccer gear for decades. While Under Armour’s Stephen Curry shoe and Nike’s longstanding Jordans dominate the basketball footwear market, Adidas signs high profile soccer players such as FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale and the now retired David Beckham in order to draw the attention of athletes who play that sport, as well as sports fans. This approach has been largely successful, as many soccer players and enthusiasts turn toward Adidas for their well-advertised apparel.
Junior Josh Pearlman, a player on the Aragon Men’s Varsity Soccer team and a fan of Adidas sportswear, says, “my favorite athletes wear brand name shoes and other apparel, so I try to dress like them as well.”
Individuals who idolize certain athletes are influenced by the athlete endorsing the brand, and as emotions control fashion choices, many are likely to buy from that brand in order to be like them. The more popular sports companies are typically richer and more capable of paying for expensive endorsements from famous athletes.
While the psychological aspect of sports fashion is important in determining an individual’s wardrobe, there is still the value in the quality of the apparel. Gong and Pearlman, both athletes, agree that the durability and the material of the clothing bought from their favorite popular sports brands are superior to a lot of the other clothing they wear. Pearlman says, “Not only do famous athletes and celebrities wear these brands, but the clothing itself is actually stylish and comfortable…Adidas makes near-perfect sweatpants – they’re super comfortable, they breathe, they’re a good length, they don’t chafe or ride up, and they’ve lasted forever.”
Athletic clothing has become a staple in fashion. Many students are seen wearing the popular brand while playing sports or for everyday use. In addition to their sports lines, almost all online sport catalogs now have a “Lifestyle” section to choose from, with clothes specifically designed for the street, not sport. But the choice of whether or not to “Just Do It” and conform to the athletic apparel trend is always in the hands of the consumer.
