Pairs of Pairs

Practice was tough on Tuesday night last week, but fun nonetheless. Lots of endurance and some scrimmaging drills too. At one point we each paired up with a partner to perform pushing, pulling and whipping drills. When we started the drills, someone noticed that each couple had the same socks on! Pink stripes were matched with pink stripes, black with black and so on. A funny coincidence that looked intentional and choreographed. This sock match up got me to thinking about all of the wonderful fashion in the derby world. This I find is a somewhat controversial subject, as some girls feel that the fashion aspect of derby takes away from the athleticism of it. I admit that I have come across girls who wanted to play the part of a derby girl more so than they wanted to skate, though that finding has been a rarity. Most of the girls are in it to skate, play and just so happen to also look good while doing so. What players decide to wear simply enhances their appearance on the track and allows them to show off their individuality.

My strong interest in fashion from a young age led me to major in the subject in college, which then led to jobs in the industry. And so I of course love to see what everyone around me is wearing. I people-watch while I walk from the train to the studio where I work. On the way, I pass one of the FIT dorms and catch the latest trends and styles on each girl that walks in and out of the doors of the building. I check out the people on the streets and in line at the deli. I subscribe to way too many fashion magazines and surf various blogs on the web that are geared towards style. My point being, I engulf myself in fashion enough to confidently say that derby girls have some of the most fashion-forward, original and artistic style ideas I've seen. From striped socks over fishnets, to petticoats over ruffled panties. From painted faces to inked up skin, pink leather skates to cherry red sparkled helmets, these girls definitely know how to express themselves. I've toyed with the idea of a fashion column on here and I've even gone as far to imagine a completely separate blog just for fashion. My mind wonders, is this something that my readers would be interested in? Would it take away from the core of what derby is to you, to me, to leagues? or would it simply enhance it? I throw these questions out and they are up for grabs to answer. It is true that we all must abide by WFTDA rules and wear the required safety gear, but ultimately we need to clothe ourselves when we play. We wear uniforms to not only represent the team we play for, but also to enable our spectators to see who is on which team.


I've thought about this topic a lot and I think that derby is one of the few sports where you can have fun showing off your personality, your artistic talents and your uniqueness while still showing that you're part of a team. My mulling over this subject has lead me to put up a new poll. Take a second and vote (it's anonymous). Your opinions matter to me.


xo
Etta