Women’s sport has evolved beyond conversations on what female athletes wear, but two recent incidents in two vastly different sports deserve closer examination.
Don’t worry, this isn’t an article on fashion. It’s an article on choice.
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LET golfer Annabell Fuller sparked a flurry of headlines at the WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast, but unfortunately it wasn’t for her stunning third round 64 or her 7th place overall.
Instead it was for her crop top.
Gasp, shock, horror!
She dared to expose her midriff in her follow through causing an explosion of comments from punters in a sport that is renowned for its strict, and restrictive, dress code.
“This is not a golf outfit. Sleezy looking,” said one comment.
“Tacky. Classless,” another wrote.
Meantime in Fuller’s home country of England, a new dress code within one of their professional netball teams, the London Mavericks, also made headlines. The team became the first to introduce a “choice kit”.
They haven’t done away with the traditional netball dress, but instead have given their team the choice to wear either the dress, shorts, skorts (skirt with shorts) and leggings in their professional matches.
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 22: Annabell Fuller of England with her ‘crop top’.Source: Getty Images
Netball dresses are traditionally short, figure hugging and exposing, while some love the dress, others find it restrictive and feel more comfortable in leggings or shorts.
The groundbreaking move by the Mavericks was prompted by a 2024 study found that 64% of girls in the UK were dropping out of sport by the age of 16, while another study 58% of girls would prefer to have more uniform choices in PE.
The club wanted to lead by example, redefining what a netballer looks like and what they wear.
“Everyone performs better when they’re wearing kit they feel comfortable in. London Mavericks is showing that choice of kit is now a given,” said London Mavericks co-owner Olivia Hall.
“Across our pyramid of players and for those yet to join us, we’ll be demonstrating that the dress need not be essential to enjoy the game.”
Women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes, no one type of uniform fits all. Allowing women to wear, without fear or feedback, what they move more comfortably in, can vastly impact their performance and enjoyment in sport.
Back to Fuller for a moment, she stays fit for golf by doing CrossFit and Hyrox. In these sports, the outfits may be minimum in fabric (gym attire), but they do allow for maximum movement. For golf, it was no surprise then that the crop top for Fuller was something she said she feels comfortable in and played well in as a result.
“As long as I’m comfy and I feel good about myself, then I feel good to play,” Fuller told Australian Golf Digest.
“In winter in England, my clubhead speed drops a lot because wearing lots of jumpers stops me turning freely.”Showing her mid section generated a strong response among some golf fans.Source: Getty Images
Dress codes in golf for women are notoriously strict and it’s something that many in the sport have been pushing to change. The Athena is an event on the WPGA tour for up and coming female golfers and is broadcast on Fox Sports and it actively encourages participants to not wear golf attire and to wear whatever they feel comfortable in, handing them a sizeable Adidas voucher to spend on the clothes. Participants have worn crop tops, bike shorts and even a NFL top in the past on course.
Changing club culture when it comes to dress codes is more challenging.
The latest national research into women’s participation in golf shows that women make up 60% of the new players in the past two years and 42% of all golfers nationally. Yet, and here’s the clincher, those figures include “off-course golf” – think simulators, driving ranges, putt putt etc. These facilities don’t require a dress code. In fact, women now make up 50% of ‘off-course’ golf participants while only 30% of on-course participants where dress codes commonly apply. When it comes to club membership, women make up only 18% of all members nationwide.
“Golf is a game for everyone, but for many women and girls, strict clothing expectations can make the first step feel intimidating. When you’re already unsure about golf etiquette, equipment, and playing ability, worrying about whether you’re dressed correctly can be enough to stop someone from trying the sport all together,” Tamara Mason, Golf Australia’s Head of women and girls told Fox Sports.
“We know that fear of judgement is one of the biggest barriers preventing women from getting active. That fear can start well before stepping onto the course, whether it’s concerns about body image, not having the right gear, or simply worrying about doing the wrong thing.”
“The clubs and venues seeing strong growth in women’s participation are often those that are prioritising accessibility and belonging. Many are adopting more flexible dress codes and creating relaxed, social environments that focus on the experience rather than old traditions.”
Culture change in netball is also hard. Netball NSW made headlines in 2021 when it implemented a flexible uniform policy which included shorts, leggings and long sleeve tops which were not just gender inclusive but culturally inclusive as well. In 2023 Netball Australia adopted a similar policy nationwide. The traditional netball dress has divided players.Source: Getty Images
The Super Netball uniforms, our elite competition, stuck with the traditional dress.
Three years on, the netball dress remains the popular choice on grassroots courts across the country, with some, but not all, clubs providing flexible uniform options.
Should that option be showcased from our elite players with Super Netball teams adopting a similar policy to the London Mavericks, the effect could ripple down to grassroots and help change perceptions of what a netballer wears. This could potentially encourage more girls into the sport, and stay in the sport.
Recent research backs up the impact of flexible uniform policies. A study from Professor Clare Hanlon at Victoria University found that 48% of women and girls were encouraged to continue on in the sport if the uniform was flexible. Those who felt self-conscious playing sport fell from 41% to 11% and those who felt confident playing sport rose from 50% to 90%.
It’s also something former Director of the Victorian Office of Women in Sport and Recreation Sarah Styles discussed in her recent TedTalk “How to close the gender gap in sports” at TedSports Indianapolis.
“Dr Hanlon found that what women and girls want ultimately is choice, choices that make them feel comfortable. Such as dark coloured clothing on their lower half, shirts that don’t show sweat and clothing that fits their bodies not this so called unisex clothes that forgets about breasts and hips.”
“Uniforms have a massive role to play when it comes to women and girl’s enjoyment of sport”
The high drop out rate for girls in sport in their teenage years as well as the low percentage of women joining golf clubs are big concerns. One barrier to continued involvement could be just an outfit away. It’s not about wearing one thing or another, but understanding that providing women with choice is a simple solution.
Then we can all focus on reporting on the game, not on what they’re wearing again.