Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (03): 256-265.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20240305702

• Comprehensive Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Design methods and development tendency of sportswear

LYU Yingrui1,2,3, WANG Zhaohui1,2,3(), YE Qinwen1,2,3, LIU Huanhuan1,2,3, SUN Yuexin1,2,3   

  1. 1. College of Fashion and Design, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Clothing Design & Technology, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China
    3. Shanghai Belt and Road Joint Laboratory of Textile Intelligent Manufacturing, Shanghai 200051, China
  • Received:2024-03-25 Revised:2024-09-19 Online:2025-03-15 Published:2025-04-16
  • Contact: WANG Zhaohui E-mail:wzh_sh2007@dhu.edu.cn

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Abstract:

Significance Sportswear is an important part of the clothing industry. Driven by the modern sports lifestyle, sportswear market demand continues to grow. Sportswear has become a research hotspot for all walks of life, and the sportswear design as well as the relevant science and technology continues to push forward. Sportswear interacts with human body and environment in a dynamic way. Well-designed sportswear could enhance the sports performance and optimize exercise experience, thus the sportswear product design requires higher technological improvements in all aspects. However, there is a relative lack of systematic research on sportswear design methods to guide the product development flowchart and integrate thorough scientific considerations. In order to clarify the intrinsic logic of sportswear design and to propose universally applicable sportswear design method, this review summarized the relevant research on sportswear design comprehensively and bring attention to possible unseen potentials of future sportswear design.

Progress Sportswear is a broad concept with different classifications and design requirements, and many scholars researched sportswear design from different perspectives such as comfort and functionality. However, the research was mainly focused on case studies of clothing for specific sports without proposing systematic design method for sportswear. A comprehensive design method was proposed through document review, which includes stages in full design work flow comprising raising design issues, design issue analysis, design implementation and design iteration. Firstly, at the stage of raising design issues, this review analyzed the classification of sportswear from the perspective of sport scenarios, then users' demands for sportswear based on Maslow's five levels of needs was summarized. The sportswear needs in the lower level are the basic functions like warmth, breathability, moisture wicking, anti-bacterial performance, UV protection, compression, impact resistance, and motion monitoring. The needs of higher level are more related to human psychological needs in showing individuality and the spirit of sport. Secondly, this review outlined main scientific design theories guiding sportswear design from the perspective of ″body-textile-garment-environment″, including the theories of body zoning, sports biomechanics, biomimicry, compression, garment ergonomics, and aerodynamics, which are the most widely used design theories for sportswear both in academia and industry. Furthermore, sportswear design implementation could take reference from the above design theories including function design, style design, textile design, garment construction design and garment processing techniques. Finally, optimization of prototypes was carried out to refine the design details and improve the overall quality. Based on the aforementioned analysis, a comprehensive sportswear design methodology was proposed to give instructions for sportswear design development.

Conclusion and Prospect With high-level innovation and a focus on user health and well-being, sportswear holds vast growth prospects. Considering the current research situation in academia and the sportswear industry, the following development trends of sportswear have been identified. 1) Multifunctional integration. This involves achieving a comprehensive balance between sportswear's functionality, heat and humidity comfort, and aesthetics. This is accomplished by carefully selecting and combining high-performance materials, innovative garment construction designs, new technologies, and smart wearable tech across all levels. The aim is to enhance sportswear with a wider range of functional characteristics, catering to the demands of modern sports lifestyles, making it a mainstream choice for both sports and everyday wear. 2) Multi-scene switching. A trend of stylistic fusion is emerging, intertwining sportswear with business, outdoor, leisure, and other apparel categories. Each style draws inspiration from the others, creating a rich tapestry of design elements. The blending of styles and the utilization of multifunctional fabrics have elevated sportswear's adaptability across various scenarios. 3) Intelligent design. Smart sportswear should improve its comfort, durability, and washability. This involves incorporating advanced smart materials and manufacturing techniques to enhance integration, bolstering the reliability of electronic sensing systems and ensuring the security and privacy of user data. Furthermore, smart sportswear may integrate self-powered wearable technology to optimize energy efficiency and harnesses emerging technologies like virtual reality to enrich interaction among the human body, clothing, and surroundings. 4) Environment friendness and sustainability. In order to minimize environmental impact, the entire supply chain of the sportswear industry needs to make more responsible choices. This involves utilizing environmentally friendly new processing and recycling technologies, expanding the application of recycled materials, biobased synthetic materials, and natural fibers. Additionally, exploring recycling solutions for electronic components in smart sportswear is crucial, achieving sustainable development throughout the lifecycle of various types of sportswear.

Key words: sportswear, sport scenario, fashion design, design theory, fabric design

CLC Number: 

  • TS941.73

Tab.1

User demand analysis for sportswear"

马斯洛需求层次 运动服装的用户需求
生理需求 保暖、透气、吸湿排汗、抗菌等
安全需求 防紫外线、压缩、抗冲击、运动监测等
社交需求 身份象征、群体归属等
尊重需求 时尚美观、彰显个性等
自我实现需求 提升竞技表现、彰显运动精神等

Fig.1

Human body sweating zoning map"

Tab.2

Sportswear detail structure design features"

设计需求 细部结构设计
易于活动 立体设计、插角及插片设计
可调节设计 松紧、抽绳、罗纹、可调节袢、锦纶搭扣、魔术贴
减重设计 无里、半里、免缝技术
透气设计 通风开口、激光透气孔、隐形开衩、网布口袋
隐形设计 藏帽设计、暗门襟、隐藏口袋、内置抽绳
多功能 可拆卸、可打包、可折叠
携物 多袋配置、内部口袋、工装口袋、拉链口袋
易穿脱 立体设计、拉链、按扣、磁铁扣

Fig.2

Sportswear design method"

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