Netball was officially recognized as a sport in the year 1901. However, the sport was played for years prior to this happening. Women in England had a desire to play this game, so they tied a plastic bag to a broomstick and started playing. However, as expected the dress code of those days was making it next to impossible for them to play the game properly. As you would imagine, the floor length dresses worn by women during those days posed quite a challenge when playing this exciting game. This lead them to create Netball uniforms.
One of the signature patterns of the dresses in those days was the leg of mutton sleeves and made upper body movement quite difficult. The netball uniform rectified this and a uniform that was appropriate for young ladies, while giving them freedom of movement was created. The first design of uniforms was a box tunic that extended far below the knee. The leg of mutton sleeves was traded in for cotton shirts with stiff collars that resembled a man’s collar. They kept their legs warm and completed the outfit with a pair of wool stockings.
This uniform was used for approximately 30 years before it was upgraded. It was decided that it should be replaced with a pleated skirt and matching bloomers, blouse and sports shoes. As the years went on, the uniform evolved. As skirts gradually got shorter, so did the netball skirts. The bloomers where traded in for sports shorts and the wool stockings where replaced with lighter and more breathable cotton socks.
10 years later, the uniform was changed yet again. The tunics were replaced with sports shorts and the blouses with Polos. The bib was a nice introduction as it made it easier for people to identify players. Over the next 30 years the uniform was chopped and changed and the shirts got quite tight at some point. It then became looser and eventually over-sized. The Australian uniform consists of a Lycra suit that promotes ease of movement. It is also durable and easy to clean. The Netball uniform surely has come along way since it was first created in 1901. Women have also come a long way, not just in netball, but in various other games that were previously only played by men. It is not uncommon now days to find women taking part in football, basketball, baseball and various other types of sport, including wrestling which was predominantly a man’s sport. So as much as uniforms as evolved so have the sports they are worn for.
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