You won't believe what you used to wear to the gym: This video will take you back in time!
Fashion is in a state of flux. This is doubly true of fitness fashion. Let's reminisce about the crazy 1990's, when weight training was booming in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. We interviewed the head designer of the Slovak fitness brand NEBBIA, Stanka Pecková, who went back in time and shared with us what it was like to design sports outfits 25 years ago. Moreover, Stanka also appears in the video capturing the fitness trends of the last 25 years. Do you still remember these outfits?
Stanka Pecková, who founded the fitness fashion brand NEBBIA with her husband Martin in 1997, has been sewing sportswear for almost 30 years. Unlike today's minimalist trends, anything that was different was in fashion in the 1990s. “The men's sweatpants were very wide, tapered at the bottom, and had large and distinctive graphics all along their length. The sweatshirts and T-shirts were wide cut. People wore mainly 100% cotton clothes to the gym. Technical materials were not used at all,” but with the advent of new sports such as CrossFit, they have also started to be used: “Every era brought with it something – materials, cuts and prints. It has always been a challenge for me to effectively and stylishly introduce new elements into our collections.”
“We searched for suppliers in a phone book, spending hours with a landline phone in hand.”
Young people may not even know what starting a business entailed before the advent of the Internet. Starting a fashion business in the 90's was an incredibly difficult and lengthy process compared to today: “Today, all you have to do is open Google on your mobile phone and you'll find everything you need. You can order supplies from all over the world, not only materials, but also finished products. We picked up the phone book “Zlaté stránky” and “manually” searched it for suitable suppliers of materials. For young readers, Zlaté stránky was a huge yellow book that had phone numbers in it :) . Then we called companies, and I should point out that at that time there were only landlines! Just imagine it – a never-ending story."
This video will get you! Watch the 25-year evolution of fitness fashion
“Back in the day, when you were running, people were astounded. The whole thing seemed so unnatural. Today it's exactly the opposite – people admire runners.”
Sport and movement is currently at its peak. It's also because of social media – people want to show off how active they are. It's not just muscle men who go to the gym anymore. Almost everyone spends their free time there – teenagers, mothers with children and seniors. Movement has become part of our lives. And more and more we are taking care of our health. “For a long time, women were ashamed to go to gyms. At the same time there was a very good, almost family atmosphere. In the same way, when you went running, people stared at you in amazement. It all seemed so unnatural. Today it's exactly the opposite – women like to work out and runners on the street have become a part of our everyday lives. Today, we admire them."
But Stanka notices another major shift – people are wearing sportswear everywhere and not just when working out: “I think that people now care more about feeling good in their clothes all day long. That's why they prefer sports fashion not only for casual wear, but also to work. We as designers have adapted to this trend. And I am no exception. I try to create outfits that people will wear not only to workout, but also to the city. I try to create outfits that people will wear not only when they workout, but also for leisure time in the city."
25 YEARS OF NEBBIA FITNESS
Martin Pecko and his wife Stanka founded the brand in 1997, which has become synonymous with the word fitness thanks to their passion for sport. The brand's portfolio includes highly functional sportswear for men and women, underwear, swimwear and eco-friendly collections made from recycled plastics and organic cotton. NEBBIA is historically the first Slovak brand to be featured on platforms such as About You or Zalando. Among the great achievements of the brand is also a 7-year exclusive partnership with the fitness & bodybuilding competition Mr. Olympia and sponsorship of the top names in the world of fitness.
