Athleticwear of Yesteryear

10:00 AM, July 12 2012

By John Jannuzzi

Yesterday, we shared Ralph Lauren's designs for the USA Olympic uniforms. Not suprisingly, they're a perfect representation of the country and our style. However, they also got us thinking: where did we get THAT look? I mentioned previously that Olympians used to compete completely naked, but somewhere down the line, athletes added a bit of clothing. Bathing suits used to be much more conservative, and uniforms were altogether more constricting. Don't believe me? Here are 17 pictures of women athletes and their uniforms. Clearly, we've come a long way. Go USA!

We found tons of jetskiing pics. Must've been big back in the day.

Can you imagine running up and down the clay in this in the heat? It's crazy.

No, this is crazy! This is absurd.

She looks like she's having a ball.

I am not ashamed to admit that every single one of these girls could probably kick my ass in any sport, or just beat me up. Especially that one on the bottom left.

These aren't too outrageous, just a trip down memory lane.

Not necessarily a sport, but a great photo either way.

Katniss who? Pshhhhh.

Again, not the most practical, but she's definitely got no handicap on style.

Bird shootin' birdies.

Today's field hockey uniform is fairly similar, but these still look a little uncomfortable for a day on the field. Too many layers.

The fencing uniforms of then and now are nearly exact, but you're basically stabbing somebody so that's okay. This photo is more about the woman. She's boss.

She's awesome, clearly.

Grab your collared shirt and sweater vest, let's go play a pick-up game!

Starting to look a little more familiar here with the jersey style, but still a far cry from the modern uniform. You can probably buy one of those jerseys in a snooty vintage shop for $395, if you're interested.