The history of cheer uniforms has always been subject to rolling dynamics throughout the ages. The fashion embedded in the world of cheer has been and still is an ever-changing evolution process with a world of its own. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to know a bit more about the earliest cheer uniforms and where they stand today.
Like most other conventional sports uniforms, the advent of cheer uniforms dates back to the 1950s. During this decade, the skirts were longer and they were paired with the ever-so-trending saddle shoes and heavy sweaters with a button-down shirt under them. The megaphone and the large tackle twill lettering were famous paraphernalia that accompanied this customary uniform. Rolling down to the 1960s, cheer uniforms began to take up a more athletic aura of their own. It was during this time, that shorter skirts became more acceptable and uniforms also started to become more user-friendly and comfortable. The era of heavy button-down sweaters was done away with any skirts that got the add-on of pleats as well. Most teams also started to adopt the practice of wearing all-white tennis shoes with their uniforms
The era that dawned with the 1970s was a time that saw a drastic shift in the general style that was associated with cheer uniforms. For this was the era when tennis skirts became even shorter, uniform tops became much tighter and tennis shoes became the general norm. Some teams went on to introduce uniforms that revealed the midriff coupled with tiny shorts and boots. This was also a sign for the rest of the cheer industry to abandon the full-coverage cheer uniforms. As the 1980s began to roll by, cheer uniforms began to have additions of fitted vest shells with buttons, puffy sleeves, much shorter skirts, and lots of pleats in the skirts. This was also a time when few schools had actually instilled rules on the cheer uniforms. The custom of wearing high white socks at times with a little coloured swoosh made its first appearance in the trends of cheer uniforms.
The 1990s was the reigning era of sparkly emblems coupled with turtle necks. Most cheerleaders opted for tennis shoes with socks that often matched the colour of the megaphone. This ear also witnessed what is called a knife-pleated skirt with tightly curled hair ringlets. The 2000s was the year that cheer uniforms got very flashy. Most companies that tailored cheer uniforms began to offer the option of metallic fabric as a choice, midriff showing uniforms donned in emblems coupled with lighter shoes became a trend that swept the cheer uniform industry. After 2010 cheer uniforms crafted under the motto ‘the more bling, the better’ gained fame across multiple markets. Rhinestones on stretchy, easily movable material crafted into more intricate necklines, and cutouts on the shoulders and the back became a rage. Slim-fit tops and minuscule skirts with big bows were the norms of the times. After 2016 teams were given the option of printing anything of their choice on the uniforms. With this, animal prints decorative stars, rhinestones, mesh details, and sparkly logos rampaged the market. Many teams started opting for tight shorts to pair up with their tops instead of skirts and some even wear leggings. Big bows and bigger hairstyles became the infamous poof.
