Cheerleading uniform

A cheerleading uniform is a standardized outfit worn by cheerleaders during games and other events. These uniforms typically include the official colors and mascots of the school or team and are designed to make the wearer appear physically attractive. Early cheerleading outfits had pants or long dresses, but as cheerleading stunts became more complex, cheerleader uniforms have adapted to allow better range of motion.
Cheerleading uniforms in the early 1900s were a steadfast symbol of the schools they represented, usually depicting the first letter of a high school or the first letter plus the letters "H" and "S", standing for "high school." These letters were normally sewn onto a sweater-type garment, sometimes even polo shirts in warm weather. While conducive to showing school spirit and having a uniform looking team, these sweater-tops were often hot, bulky, and not very functional for any type of athletic movement. The most common type of sweater worn by early cheerleaders was a long cardigan with multiple buttons, normally worn over a turtle neck shirt or collared blouse. The school letters were often sewn in either corner of the sweater, sometimes in the middle of a megaphone shape. Worn with the sweater was a very modest ankle-length wool skirt, often a darker color than the sweater. Some early cheerleading squads chose plaid fabrics for skirts, often these squads were from religious schools and universities, as plaid was the main fabric of their classroom uniforms.
Early cheerleading squads wore saddle shoes or flat canvas sneakers with high dress socks with their uniforms. This style of uniform continued through the 1950s and 1960s and is often depicted in movies and photos from that time period.
Jean Lee Originals in Goshen, IN became the first company to widely market cheerleading uniforms in the 1960s and 1970s. Owner, Jean Marie Harter, designed the pleated skirt and double stripe sweater styles still in use today. She was one of the first female graduates from The School of Management at Northwestern University and was the daughter of Arthur (Dad) V. Harter, owner of House of Harter Sporting Goods, the largest sporting good store in Indiana (and much of the Midwest) and supplier to most high schools and colleges in the state, including Notre Dame. All uniforms at Jean Lee Originals were custom made to fit each individual.
A larger entity - Cheerleader Supply Company, began copying Jean Lee's styles and mass producing uniforms in standard issue sizes (s, m, l), eventually putting the smaller, custom store out of business by the 1980s. The company was founded by Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, of Dallas, TX,a former cheerleader at Southern Methodist University, who began selling pom pom kits to local high schools. Herkie was also the first to organize cheerleading camps and competitions.
As the focus of cheerleading shifted from an auxiliary unit, to an athletic pursuit, changes in the uniforms' material, style and fit were necessary.
As fashion styles changed through the 1960s so did the cheerleading uniform. Gone were the overly long wool skirts, as pleated shorter skirts became more popular. The long skirt was essentially chopped in half as knee length cotton fabric skirts made for easier movement and a more comfortable experience for the wearer as compared to their wool counterparts.
The sweater top changed dramatically, squads elected to wear short sleeve crew neck sweaters in favor of long cardigans, however the school letters and megaphone emblem remained, now being placed in the center of the stylish crew neck sweaters. Some squads in this time period, in particular high school squads, favored placing an additional embroidered emblem with the squad member's name on the center of the school letter patch. This was a symbol of high school popularity, as it was a huge privilege to be a cheerleader
Much changed in uniform fashion from the 1960s. Most squads now wore more athletic [material] or tennis shoes. Cheerleaders wore sneakers as opposed to saddle shoes or Keds, and the uniform was made less bulky to allow for easier movement. Also more variety was available for sweaters, vests or shells and skirts. The sweater now featured a stripe pattern on the front, in alternating school colors. The letter patch became more elaborate as well, often more colorful and unique.
Sweaters were also less bulky and had a more flattering fit. This new slimmed style allowed better movement and more of a functional fit, without sacrificing modesty or tradition. Sweaters were made to fit close to the body for a tighter fit, and the length was tapered very short to eliminate excess fabric overlapping the skirt. Often this caused the cheerleader's bare abdomen to be exposed during movement- by now most sweaters were worn without any shirt or collared blouse beneath them. Different styles were incorporated to give squads more of a choice. Round neck, and v-neck sweaters were popular with squads seeking greater functionality, as cheerleading was becoming more athletic instead of the standard vocal chant. The new sweater styles allowed squads to eliminate the extra collared blouse beneath the sweater, essentially just wearing the sweater over a bra. While these uniforms provided a functional style, some modest women in society viewed these outfits as scandalous and racy. The shorter skirts combined with the shorter and tighter sweaters were viewed by some as "improper."
Theses uniforms are similar to the current uniforms except slouch socks especially Wigwam slouch socks were very popular to wear. Also Keds champion sneakers were worn by many cheerleaders. A typical school cheerleading uniform from 1985 does not look much different than a uniform today. The favored tops in this period were a turtleneck worn underneath a sweatshirt or a sweater or a waist-length button-down sleeveless modest style vest, worn with or without a turtleneck layer underneath. Sometimes a turtleneck bodysuit was worn instead.
The choice skirt remained a pleat model, but with added color striping around the bottom hem. The length style preferred was shortened to mid-thigh or slightly longer for most squads. The general rule at this time was the skirt had to be down the end of fingers when arm down at side. Bike shorts were worn underneath with some uniforms.
Most uniforms are currently made from a polyester blended fabric, usually containing spandex as well. Shiny foiled covered stretch fabric is commonly found in competitive cheerleading uniforms. Dye-sublimated uniforms have also become increasingly popular in recent years. Dye-sublimated uniforms have a design, team name, or logo printed directly on the garment using a dye-sublimation printer and can give a cheer squad a more individual look with a lower cost.
The top without the sleeves are called shells, if they have sleeves it is called a liner. Most American school squads wear a sleeveless top with either a sports bra or an athletic tank top underneath. If the shell lacks sleeves, many teams wear a turtle neck bodysuit under it, although this is not required specifically. The bodysuits can be either leotard like or covering only to the bottom of the ribcage. Due to guidelines imposed by the National Federation of High Schools, high school squads must have a top that covers their midriff with arms by their sides, however if the arms are raised most uniforms will show a small section of midriff, which is not against NFSHSA rules.
Most school-sanctioned squads have modest-looking uniform tops that are usually a waist-length fit, covering the whole frontal upper body except at the shoulders and arms when worn sleeveless. Likewise, the back construction of most school cheerleading tops cover the full upper body, however skin in the lower back area is mostly left uncovered if the cheerleader is sitting or bending; this does not violate NFSHSA uniform rules. These requirements do not apply to all-star cheerleading organizations, therefore many have tops that stop at or just below the bottom of the bra line.
Another growing trend among all-star teams is having sections of material missing (allowing bare skin to show) across the top for the chest, the shoulders, the top of the back, or portions of the arms. The length of skirts has shortened dramatically, with the average length for skirts at both high school and all-star being 10 to 13 inches, and lengths are shrinking every year, however, some coaches and various team sponsors encourage wearing shorter skirts due to safety reasons (too much fabric can be dangerous while tumbling). Skirts are worn over the top of colored or metallic spandex/polyester briefs, also called lollies, spankies, or bundies. These briefs are worn over the top of underwear and are sometimes printed with stars, dots, etc. The briefs can also sometimes have a team logo, such as a paw print, sewn on the side or across the behind. In colder weather especially when cheerleading outside it is common to see leggings worn under the uniform with socks over the leggings. Mittens or gloves and a head wrap over the ears may also be worn.
Due to the frequency of midriff exposure with most cheerleading tops, many schools and all-star coaches prohibit navel rings (belly rings) and other piercings while a cheerleader is at a competition. During competition, most federations also enforce such bans. While there is no official ban on tattoos, school-sanctioned squads typically require that tattoos that could be visible in uniform, be covered with a bandage or waterproof skin shade makeup. Due to the popularity of lower back tattoos, this method is becoming increasingly commonplace.