The Opening of Sportswear and Spectators 2012 -

By: Alison Alexander
Added: 20 May 2012

SPORTS & SPECTATORS : THEN & NOW 1855 -2012

TOTNES FASHION & TEXTILES MUSEUM

Our Summer Exhibition 2012 was opened on Sunday 20^th May by one of our local sporting heroes, Jackie Veale, who as a young 15 year old reperesented Uk in the 1968 olympics in Mexico City and then again in Munich in 1972.

In this Olympic year our exhibition shows some of the changes in styles and textiles which, over time, have affected the design and performance of clothing for participants (both professional and amateur). Also, increasing specialisation is evident, in the items on display, both in the design of sportswear and in the manufacturing techniques and materials employed in its production.

Concurrently, the ‘look’ of modern sportswear owes much to the development of commercial sponsorship in sport.

As well as reflecting these trends, the exhibition also demonstrates the changing styles of clothing as worn by spectators. Whilst originally, clothing worn by spectators was indistinguishable from that worn for other social activities, more recently, leisurewear has been increasingly influenced by specialised sportswear design. At the same time some of these influences have affected the design of everyday wear, such as footwear based on sports shoes.

Much of the participation in sporting activities takes place at a local level - either for personal enjoyment and / or to represent local institutions and community groups. Such participation is usually within the category of amateur status. (The last Olympic games where the participants were purely ‘amateur’ was the 1948 London Olympics).

It is from these local roots that professional sports people usually emerge.

From the wide range of sports now available to both participants and spectators, we have made a selection based on the Devonshire Collection of Period Costume’s historic garments and also our researches into the records of local sporting heroes.

The sports which are represented in the exhibition include: swimming, tennis, ice-skating, croquet, archery, equestrian, cycling, cricket, football and tae kwando.

The Devonshire Collection is grateful to those local sporting men and women who have kindly loaned their clothing, equipment, photographs and other information for inclusion in this exhibition.