You know who you are — on any one of the 300 sunny days per year with which we are blessed in Denver, you are mountain biking, hiking, skiing, practicing yoga, running, swimming or exercising in any way possible — and you look damn good doing it.
As 303 Magazine is first and foremost, Denver’s favorite fashion and style magazine, it behooves us to mention every so often the trends in athletic wear that we love. With that being said, it was brought to my attention recently by my friend, celebrity stylist and commentator, Colin T. McDonald, one “trend” in athletic wear that will really get under your skin (pun intended).
While skulls and bones have been popular for a few seasons now, Nike recently jumped on the bandwagon with their X-Ray Pro Printed Women’s tights that are garnering loads of attention from bloggers. My own personal style tends to lean towards rock n’ roll, leather and anything that makes me happy (shocking or not), and it should come of no surprise that I began drooling the second I saw these gems.
Suggestive? Maybe. More so, however, these tights once again bring to light the discussion about the sexualization of women athletes.
Many people think women’s athletic clothing is already too tight, too skimpy and too “feminine.” I like to think of these tights as a response to those thoughts, (a positive message), “Hey dude, I’m a wonderful athlete, just like you. We’ve got the same bones. See!”
Grab your Kleenex, or Xanax, or whatever helps you to calm your nerves, I have some bad news. I made a phone call to Nike this morning as I was devastated that their website indicated “Out of Stock.” Nike customer representative, Dylan, explained that not only are the tights out of stock, but they are inactive [read: the manufacturer isn’t producing anymore unless their is a fairly large demand from the public]. I certainly explained that I would love to have a pair and that they should make more.
Meantime, you can calm your nerves by purchasing similar tights designed by Australian outfitter, Black Milk. Leg Bones and Muscles (the most graphic of the group) achieve the same look as Nike, but perhaps could be more easily paired with boots and a leather jacket. Yes, please!
What are your thoughts? Is this trend to die for or would you rather be caught dead? Either way, Nike is once again pushing boundaries and getting some great PR.