Nowadays we wear athletic clothing as a fashion statement, but it wasn’t always that way. Fitnessgoals.com did some reasearch and created some graphics to show the progression that women’s fitness trends have gone through from the ’70s until now. 

Fitness fashion has come a long way from the invention of the sports bra in the ’70s, or the explosion of color-blocked spandex in aerobics classes of the past.

Check out these GIFs to see how far workout fashion has come—and maybe even have a good laugh.  

From hot pants to leggings and everything in between

Sportsbottoms
Fitnessgoals.com

From short-shorts to leggings and baggy sweats, there’s been a lot of variety as far as bottoms are concerned. They say fashion is a cycle, so maybe we’ll be seeing high-cut leotards in the gym sometime soon. 

SEE ALSO: Spring’s Hottest New Leggings

The many styles of the sports bra

Sportabrasevolution
Fitnessgoals.com

You probably can’t even imagine life without sports bras, but there was a time when they didn’t exist. The “Free-Swing Tennis Bra” was the first of its kind, and we’ve come a long way since then. 

SEE ALSO: Spring’s Sexiest Sports Bras

Shirts, leotards, and jumpsuits, oh my!

 

Shirtsevolution
Fitnessgoals.com

Perhaps the most varied of the bunch, workout tops have had so many different trends that it’s hard to nail them all down. While they seem ridiculous now, we can’t help but wonder if those scandalously high-cut leotards were as multi-purpose as women back then made them seem. 

It all starts with the shoes

Shoesevolution
Fitnessgoals.com

Sneakers, as any fit chick knows, are an important part of any outfit—they don’t just have to look cute, but feel good, too. Without a stable foundation, you’d never be able to perform your best. We’re wondering if that was always the case with some of these flashy kicks. 
 
SEE ALSO: Adding to the Athleisure Trend: Sports Bras