The other day I got an e-mail from a woman named Beth who wanted to sell me on a line of running skirts.
Apparently, Beth and her sister-in-law, a well-known triathlete and Ironman champion, developed a line of athletic skirts.
She writes, “Can women run in skirts, which is a throwback to the pre-Title IX days, and still be taken seriously as athletes? Can we, like businesswomen who have been able to trade in their mannish suits and shoulder pads for more fem attire, be able to finally embrace what and who we are in the world of jocks?”
Huh?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought we had been liberated from skirts, not the other way around. Images of a young Katharine Hepburn popped into my head, poised and cool in pleated slacks. I thought about the time I wore a suit to a formal event (a sexy cut number with strappy heels, mind you) and it was the most beautiful and comfortable I had ever felt – dressed up without the dress.
What about doing sports in a skirt? Tennis players wear skirts, so do field hockey teams. We used to wear them in lacrosse and I loved the way they looked, blowing in the wind as we sprinted down the field, somehow graceful but powerful at the same time.
I’ve hiked in skirts before. I wore a light nylon drawstring skirt on an all-day hike up Mount Sopris. On a trip to Kauai, I hiked the Napali Coast in a sundress with a bathing suit underneath. I liked the freedom from having elastic around my waist, and a little breeze, so to speak. My decision had nothing to do with dismissing “mannish attire” or wanting to be more “fem,” but more about simplifying my gear and feeling more comfortable. In the end, however, thigh chafe negated whatever comfort I thought I had gained. The fact of the matter is those of us who are not blessed with that coveted space between our inner thighs do have to deal with the issue of skin-on-skin friction.
Function and performance should be the foremost issue in any female athlete’s mind, should it not? When I get out on the trail it’s to escape worrying about my outfit or how I look, to get away from the mirrors that dominate the gym and the yoga studio. Just yesterday I went out for a run in an ill-fitting, baggy pair of old, faded orange sweat shorts and a clashing pink jog bra with flowers and blue running shoes. I revel in the privacy, in this one small escape from vanity and the pressures I tend to put on myself regarding my appearance.
And what about female athletes with sex appeal, the Anna Kournikovas of the world who gain fame (and income) because of the way they look, not how they perform? In 1999, I talked to several top pro surfers for an article I wrote in Surfer Girl magazine called “Skin Deep” who had virtually no sponsorship support while the more attractive girls enjoyed significant endorsement deals despite their less-than-impressive rankings. At the same time, the only women getting any real play in the surf magazines were the models splayed across the pages of those Reef Brazil ads in their thong bikinis.
I guess skirts are a good idea then, for women who want to gain notoriety in a man’s world. At least their chances are better if they look good. Whenever I hear the word “skirt,” it brings to mind the phrase “chasing skirts.” So I guess it is somehow fitting, if not ironic, that some of us might choose to run in them.
But at the same time, I see where these skirt girls are coming from. On the slopes, at least, I’ve gobbled up women’s attire, donning pale pink snowboard pants with matching goggles and a coat with fur trim on the hood, thrilled about the departure from those unflattering baggy pants of the early days. I love women’s cycling gear; I will buy just about anything that has a flower embroidered on it or comes in the color pink.
The way I see it, women have come a long way only to end up right back where we started. Only now, with our newfound “equality” we’re expected to balance strength and power while at the same time restoring or maintaining our femininity.
When I was sent the link to the running skirt website, I was immediately excited about a dress that’s designed for running, made in a lightweight, breathable fabric with a built-in jog bra and briefs. I immediately ordered one in pink.
Freelance columnist Alison Berkley can be reached at alison@berkleymedia.com.
