A dark blue stripe has been added to the white pants of the official Real Sociedad kit, in the case of the women’s team this season, with the aim that, if there are stains due to the players’ menstruation, they can be further hidden. . It was a concern that the ‘txuri-urdin’ themselves had transmitted to the club and which, with these simple changes, seems to have been resolved thanks to the decision to change the design of the pants produced by the Macron brand.
This is not the first time that a decision of this type has been taken to make sports practice more comfortable for players with their periods. In the case of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in August last year, the Brazilian team presented Nike-branded “leak-proof” pants for players who were menstruating. Thus, the pants have been reinforced with an ultra-thin absorbent lining to protect against menstrual leaks. The brand, under the slogan “Nike One Leak Protection” markets this type of pants for playing different sports such as football, cycling or tennis or simply for everyday use.
As in the case of Real Sociedad, during the World Cup the women’s teams of France and England, who wore white shorts, also chose to replace these clothes with darker colors, also thinking about possible menstrual discharge. At the moment, it is unclear whether other F League teams wearing white uniforms and pants, such as Real Madrid, will make the same decision.
In July 2023, for the first time, Wimbledon players were not required to wear white underwear during competition. The organization has allowed them to wear dark-colored clothing if they wish, because they must compete while on their period. It was the first time that the centenary tournament, the strictest in terms of dress standards for all tennis players, met repeated requests from players.
In this case, many tennis players have stated in recent years that it makes no sense to be forced to compete in white underwear, when the possibility of staining them could represent an unnecessary distraction in the middle of a match. Athletes from other disciplines have also denounced the unnecessary stress of having to watch their underwear or white pants in the middle of a match. They also reported that this factor is one of those that causes many adolescent girls to stop competing when they start to menstruate.
