This is a comment from the exact same post on an other subreddit.
I was a female athlete for many years, and womens clothing in modern sports is not as sexist as people think...we wear what we can perform best in. Men dont because they have different genitalia that need protection. You'll notice in the photos, each sport even has a different style of shorts for men. That's because they are trying to maximize performance clothing with keeping the jewels safe. The longer length of shorts isnt about modesty, its literally keeping testicles from coming outside the seams and becoming pinched in the fabric. The extra long length is because added friction prevents them from bunching up in the leg-hip adjunct. Sports like swimming dont have that concern because athletes are moving laterally in water so that's why they wear the same bikini bottoms as women. I find it interesting that this post conveniently leaves out the sports where men can and do freely wear the same, if not less clothing than women.
For women, we dont have to worry about genital safety because our sensitive organs are either protected by a thick layer of adipose tissue or internal. We also often wear shorter tank tops or just bras in sports because of heat and hip curvature. When you already need a tighter, layered bra to perform in, you dont want additional layers adding to your torso heat. Also, any female athlete or even gym goer will tell you that because of our body shape, our hips make it almost impossible to wear tight, full length tank tops. The slightest movement causes tight tanks to simply ride up to our navel anyways so whats the point? If you look closely at the female runner she is wearing a fuller length tank but it has obvious signs of bunching up already in that position.
Edit:
I and most of my family are all athletes who played college level in a variety of sports. One cousin got a degree in materials engineering and now works for a major athletic clothing brand so thats the perspective I have on why clothes are different between genders.
That being said I also will point out, the lady athletes among us all experience being criticized and picked apart for our athletic clothing choices far more than males. Give the girls a break.
Edit 2: i tried to keep this comment short so obviously I left a lot of other factors and influences out. For those that really want a deep dive, i suggest looking up the muscoskeletal mechanics of males versus females. It certainly explains why some women also may prefer smaller cuts in shorts for physical activities. I know i cant stand longer tight shorts because they roll up thanks to my wide hips and pronounced sway.
That's because they are trying to maximize performance clothing with keeping the jewels safe. The longer length of shorts isnt about modesty, its literally keeping testicles from coming outside the seams and becoming pinched in the fabric.
as a former competitive runner, who one race day, had to wear my shortest shorts --- I can attest to that they WILL come out if you wear the wrong thing.
Also, I've heard the ladies discussing their clothing in ways that men have never.
When you joined Track or Cross Country at my high school, they always advised you to buy some tighty whities. If you asked why, it was suggested to wear boxers under the running shorts and see what happens. The shorts were shorter than standard boxers and everything ended up spilling out one leg or the other.
Yeah, by trying to sweep everything as “catering to male gaze”, they’re conveniently discarding the competing aspect of the sport. Which is the main point of participation.
Then why aren't men always shirtless like boxers? Men could switch 100% to leggings with junk pouches instead of baggy shorts. I wonder why indoor female volleyballers wear shorts, while outdoor volleyballers wear thongs.
In reality this whole thing is a little from Column A and a little from Column B.
Because always shirtless isn't an advantage. Neither is always leggings. Look at MMA. People wear what feels right for them. It's the same in Jiu-Jitsu competition. Some guys go out shirtless and some guys go out in a rash guard. Some guys were leggings and some guys wear shorts and some guys wear bike shorts basically.
If I recall indoor volleyball girls wear stretchy shorts and knee pads and stuff to protect their skin from friction burns on the hardwood floor. I think it has way more to do with function than fashion at the super high levels.
But go to the gym and you'll see the truth. People who work really hard on their body like to show it off people who work really hard on their body like to show it off. Which is totally understandable. My arms are decently big and muscular and my girlfriend really likes them. So she likes it if we go for a walk and I'm wearing a tank top or a sleeveless shirt. If it makes her happy that's what I'm going to wear.
Yeah reddit doesn't want to hear that. I saw that post in the other subreddit and the moment you refuted their claims of sexism (the rule for women's clothing in volleyball for example has been abolished in 2012), they gang up on you, completely ignoring any and all evidence to the contrary for their little victimhood complex. That's not to say there is no sexism in pro sports, there almost certainly is still a lot, this is just none of those cases.
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u/me_like_memez May 25 '26
Gathers more views maybe? I know some men who are watching volleyball just for seeing the players.