Looking good, feeling good

Jan 14 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

Vicky Pepys sees the new Simple approach to sportswear

IT’S January and traditionally the time we renew our gym memberships, dig out mouldy activity gear and feel a need to shake off excess Christmas pounds.

So it’s timely there’s a new collection in store at JD Sports entitled Pure Simple Sport (with an additional Pure Simple Basics line) that’s worth looking at and actually feeling. It uses a unique Pure Simple Pro Fabric, a mix of poly, cotton, nylon elastanes containing Supplex® giving the look and feel of soft cotton but with incredible wicking properties.

The new fabric: “Keeps you dry, keeps you fresh, gives you comfort and lets the skin breathe as well as being shrink and stain resistant and although it has a luxury cotton feel is much faster drying,” explains Emma Matthews, women’s product director, based in Bury.

Bigger technological sports brands like Nike are led by fibre and fabric developments. The industry dictates that they design up to two years in advance; being a smaller operation gives JD Sports the luxury of easier lead times of just six months ahead. “We’ll be bringing out four collections a year,” says Emma.

“They’ll differ in colour palette and detail. We’ve designed with maximum protection in mind, the bra tops are double layered offering support to the small busted and there are some vanity details like side fastenings as well as fashion ones like drawcords. The collection is designed to a slim but not tight silhouette.”

Emma describes how the range is aimed primarily at what’s known as the company’s “sweet spot”, the young fashion conscious “sporty” 19-year-old girl.

Observing the size range is limited, sizes eight to 16, gives further indication of their target market and she rightly argues it would make little economical sense, at this stage in the retail game and the current economic climate, to design for anything but. It’s no surprise to find out the design team is young and sporty.

“We’re all late 20s and we all work out,” she says, but stresses the range will also appeal to the up-to-35-year old too who works out a couple of times a week and who will probably choose the range to wear as lifestyle pieces, in other words, around the house, to the supermarket etc.

For those of us over size 16, unwilling to show our midriffs to the mirror never mind the world, JD Sports offer little except perhaps incentive; we can at least stick these pictures on the fridge door!

The new Pure Simple Sport and Pure Simple Basics Ranges are available at JD Sports, Northumberland Street, Newcastle, (0191) 230-3153; MetroCentre, Gateshead, (0191) 460-2713 and King St, South Shields, (0191) 496-7942 and online at www.jdsports.co.uk