I would not exactly say that I hate sports clothing. It is just fine for what it is designed for. I play soccer, and I would not do it without soccer shorts, cleats, and a lightweight jersey designed to wick sweat away from my skin. They are nice, practical, functional clothes designed for a specific game, and I use them for that game. The popularity of sports fashion, however, baffles me. You see, I grew up in New York. New York is different than the rest of the country in many ways, but one of the biggest differences is in fashion sensibilities. Even if they don't have a lot of money, people in New York believe in looking good. They were overcoats in the winter, colorful, flattering, light clothing in the summer, and comfortable, layered outfits in the fall and spring.

This is why sports fashion baffles me so much. I have spent the last couple years in the Midwest, and it is everywhere. It seems like everyone wants to wear sports clothing. I can understand wearing it in the summer, but people even wear it in the winter! There is nothing more boring and bland than a baseball cap, but these are basically the only kinds of hats people own. Even though a nice, broad brimmed hat is more practical and attractive, you almost never see them. Sports clothes are the rule everywhere.

Don't get me wrong, some sports clothing is pretty well-designed. Columbia sports wear, for example, is excellent clothing if you are going to take a hike, go camping, or spend any extended length of time outdoors. Nonetheless, if you're just hanging out around town, you might as well look good. People spend lots of money on their official team throwback jerseys and Air Jordan tennies, never realizing that they look sloppy in a t-shirt, sneakers, and athletic pants.

The funny thing is that the trend is even spreading to New York. I'm not a very vain person, but I didn't realize how much I would miss the dark, well tailored trench coats until I started to see them replaced by warm-up jackets! I can understand when kids pick up on the trend ? they don't know better ? but even adults are starting to dress in sports clothing. If you are going to wear a shirt and shorts, you should at least not spend a fortune on the outfit! After all, what is the point?