Fashion and sports: Women athletes more empowered than ever to express themselves

As the business of women's sports continues to grow, the ability for players to express themselves on and off the field of play has closely followed.

In addition to gaining long-overdue respect for their athletic abilities, women athletes are establishing themselves in the fashion space more than ever before through avenues like magazine covers and lucrative brand deals — and even tunnel walks.

"In fashion and sports, the men used to have all of the fun. From the '90s until now, tunnel walks [were] very male dominated," Andrea Rose, a sports stylist in Toronto, told CBC Sports.

"But it's really exciting, where we have the launch of WNBA, Toronto Tempo, all of these spaces where women are being encouraged, and if not that, then empowered to show the duality of themselves."  

WATCH: Co-founders champion women's sports:

Makeway co-founders Abby Albino and Shelby Weaver launched their business in 2020 to offer better footwear options for women sneakerheads. Now, they're using their platform to champion women's sports in Toronto and use the store as a place where the community gathers.

PWHL star Sarah Nurse is one the athletes shifting the narrative by doing just this.

The Toronto Sceptres forward unapologetically wears makeup during games and often arrives at the arena wearing fur-collared coats and carefully selected matching sets.

"Even as an athlete, I think it's important to have interests beyond hockey, and for me, fashion is one way that I can be creative. I take a ton of pride in putting together new outfits and showing my style on a day to day," Nurse told CBC Sports.

"I have always taken an interest in fashion, specifically using outfits as a way of expressing myself. I think that my fashion choices reflect my confidence and my desire to be bold."

Expression, however, wasn't always encouraged for women in sports, according to Nurse. 

"I would say that for a long time, people thought that presenting yourself through beauty and style was almost a distraction, but now people are starting to see how self-expression is really a good thing," she said.

She adds that fashion and style are another vehicle to connect audiences with sport.

"As women, we have been able to grow the PWHL by bringing in people from all different backgrounds and people that may not have even been hockey fans to begin with because they see us in this fashion and beauty space," Nurse said.

"A lot of people will tell me they started following me for my makeup tips and then they realized that I'm in the PWHL and started cheering on the team."  

More sponsorship opportunities 

It's no secret that a sizeable pay gap remains between men and women athletes in most professional sports.

The average NHL salary is around $7.5 million US per year, while the average salary in the PWHL is $55,000. In basketball, the average NBA salary last season was $12 million compared to $120,000 in annual take-home money for the average WNBA player.

Sponsorship revenue can significantly impact athlete income, sometimes even surpassing their league earnings. And the opportunity for athletes is expected to grow substantially.

In 2024, the global sports sponsorship market was valued at approximately $90.6 billion, according to Business Research Insights, and by 2032 the global sports sponsorship market is projected to reach $151.4 billion.

Earlier this year, Nurse became a beauty brand ambassador for Revlon Canada, a partnership she calls "surreal."

WATCH | She's4Sports founder talks all things fashion and sport with CBC Sports:

Ainka Jess has always loved sport and wanted to create new spaces to amplify the contributions of women in sport. She created She's4Sports Media Inc. and has been working to give women a larger voice in sports since 2016. Here she joins CBC Sports' Brittany Maclean to talk about her organization and its upcoming event as well as all things sport and fashion.

"It's not necessarily what people see as a traditional hockey partnership. It really allows me to bring together two worlds I love: hockey and makeup," she said.

Meanwhile, three-time WNBA MVP A'Ja Wilson released a Nike collection which includes a satin-lined hoodie to protect and maintain the hairstyles of athletes, and Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has partnerships with Louis Vuitton, Nike and popular streetwear brand Kith to name a few.

Ainka Jess is the CEO & Founder of She's4SPORTS, an organization which aims to amplify the voices of women in sport. 

"Women athletes are influencers now, right? So they're already leading with their own brands on social [media], and that visibility of connecting with brands who have the same values as them, or the same fashion style, the same attitudes as these players," Jess told CBC Sports

"I think that definitely will speak also to the next generation of younger girls who are looking up to them, that you can be your authentic self, and still like sport, and still excel at sport." 

Consumer market also seeing growth

The intersection of fashion and sport goes beyond the athletes, and is playing out with  everyday consumers as well.

According to Klarna and the Sports Innovation Lab, the women's sports merchandise market is now valued at $4 billion in the U.S.

Toronto-based designer Sukhdeep Kalsi has jumped at the chance to give women the clothes they want.

After launching her fashion brand, Skalsi, in 2020, she eventually tapped into the sports market and began reworking jerseys into original garments, even commissioning a piece for Raptors forward Scottie Barnes.

She says she noticed a void in sports merchandise made for women and wanted to do something about it.

"With Y2K trends making a comeback, jerseys have returned as a staple piece, especially at games. I've noticed more women embracing this trend, but there aren't many options designed specifically with feminine silhouettes in mind," she said.

Kalsi's venture emphasizes the trickle-down impact the growing inclusion of style and expression has had on the business of women's sport.

"We're seeing such a powerful shift in how sports culture intersects with style, especially with the rise of women's sports," she said.

"Women are finding new ways to express their love for sports through their style, and that's created a fresh space for creativity."