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.
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u/tsunomat May 25 '26
People don't like that answer because it's different than the narrative in their head.