I find the ongoing evolution of basketball uniforms to be highly amusing. People always comment about how skirt hems go up and down, how waistbands rise and fall; but few people seem to notice the amazing regularity with which basketball uniforms undergo change to accommodate the accepted fashion trends. If people are wearing tight clothes, basketball uniforms become formfitting. If baggy is in, basketball shorts reach to the players' knees. I can think of no other sport in which the uniform makes such a fashion statement and moves so much with the clothing trends of the era.

A basketball uniform is a very simple ensemble, at least in its basic composition. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. Players' numbers are emblazoned on the backs and fronts of the jerseys.

Basketball has existed as a sport, at least rudimentarily, for over 100 years, making it a fairly young pastime. The uniform of basketball, as described above, is more basic and less specialized than those of most other professional sports. As a result, it is much easier for basketball uniforms to reflect the fashion trends of any given era. When basketball was first established, circa 1890, very few clothing existed that was specifically designed for physical activity. Hence, many players simply wore the pants and shirts they used in everyday life. It was not until the 1920s that the essence of the basketball uniform was established. Photos from this era show young men in shorts that come to their mid-thighs and formfitting sleeveless jerseys. This formula became the basis for all future basketball uniforms.

In accordance with the styles of the times, basketball uniforms remained fairly tight all through the 1980s. The jerseys were formfitting and the shorts came to somewhere between the mid- and upper-thigh, depending on the decade. However, in the 1990s, basketball uniforms underwent a dramatic transformation. Suddenly, basketball players were running around in shorts hung all the way down to their knees. The jerseys became looser and longer too, adding to the overall effect of bagginess. At the same time, "sagging" became extremely fashionable among some young men. This trend involved wearing pants and short below the waistline, making them appear longer. Although "sagging" was not realistic on the basketball court (because one's shorts might come off), the basketball uniforms of the era adapted to reflect the fashion of the times.

Since the inception of sagging and generally larger men's clothes, basketball uniforms have remained relatively loose. The uniforms of the 21st century form a stark contrast to those worn in the early 19th. However, considering the nature of the fashion industry, there will again come a time when men are expected to wear more formfitting apparel in everyday life; when that time comes, I would predict that basketball uniforms will follow suit.