Style icons: (From top) Lleyton Hewitt and David Beckham

The men on the field might not be able to match the flamboyance of a Serena Williams or the oomph of an Anna Kournikova, but they sure do manage to influence sportswear fashion across the globe. And with sports becoming integral to the lifestyle of the fitness-conscious young Calcuttan, the options in this segment are no longer restricted to boring track pants and solid T-shirts.

International sportswear giants like Adidas, Reebok and Nike have not only made sporting gear more trendy and eye-catching, they have also worked on the functionality factor to introduce new techniques to conserve energy and minimise burnouts.

Goodlife scouts city stores to check out the sporting fare on offer.

Shorts story

A pair of shorts is probably the most-sought-after garment in sporting gear. Whether you are into serious sports, or just in the habit of walking in the morning to keep yourself fit, a pair of shorts is a must.

But while buying a pair you must keep in mind your requirement, since different sports call for shorts of varied cuts and types. Power running, for instance, would require you to wear shorts covering just the upper thighs. ?Running fast causes one to sweat a lot and it increases the body temperature. So the legs should be kept exposed as much as possible to facilitate evaporation of the excess sweat. Moreover, smaller shorts avoid friction with the thighs,? says Amlan Chowdhury of Sports Station in Forum, which stocks Nike gear. Sprinting shorts come in cotton and polyester and cost between Rs 850 and Rs 1,500.

White shorts are the favoured ones for tennis, squash and badminton. These are usually standard-length ones made either of cotton or polyester. The prices range from Rs 550 to Rs 1,500. These are available in all outlets of Nike, Adidas and Reebok.

Golf shorts, normally three-quarter in length, come in cotton, linen or a blend of both. These are priced between Rs 450 and Rs 690 at Cotton World Corp in Forum.

Tee trend

The uppers in almost all sports come in the form of T-shirts. The Clima-Cool T-shirts from Adidas are particularly popular with footballers.The fabric used is softer than cotton and fights sweat better than other fibres. The shape and placement of Clima-Cool fibres help quick movement of moisture to the outer surface, thus allowing it to dry faster.

?The pores in the T-shirts enable 360-degree ventilation, which helps keep the body temperature five degrees below the atmospheric temperature. These T-shirts have pores at all temperature-regulating points of the upper body. This also helps swifter evaporation of sweat,? explains Sandeep Chopra, store manager of the Adidas outlet in Forum. These cost between Rs 850 and Rs 2,000.

The Chief Value Cotton T-shirts, also from the same brand, are more popular for tennis. The fabric here is a blend of 60 per cent cotton and 40 per cent polyester. The price point starts from Rs 550.

Premiere Hockey League T-shirts are available at all Adidas outlets. These come in various colours with logos of the participating clubs embossed on them. ?These T-shirts have been majorly in demand for the past couple of months,? adds Chopra.

Cute caps

Sports caps are eternally popular among all age groups, right from kids playing cricket in the neighbourhood to the elderly gent teeing off on the greens. And this headgear is as much popular on the field as off it.

Caps, however, are absolutely essential for almost all sports. Saving your head from the sun and avoiding sunburn around the eyes are the most obvious advantages. But new technologies also ensure that a cap keeps the head cool.

The Clima-Fit and Clima-Cool varieties are good bets if you want to avail of these benefits. They start at Rs 550 and are available at the Nike, Adidas and Reebok outlets, and GK Sports off Chowrin-ghee.

Visors, meant to protect the eyes from the sun, are available in almost all brands and are priced Rs 290 onwards.

All-condition gear

These are clothes meant exclusively for trekking purposes. Special track pants and uppers to suit the tough and cold conditions are made from a blend of cotton and polyester, with triple padding. These come with multiple pockets and adjustable lengths.

?The all-condition line is made of very tough fabric so that the clothes do not tear due to sharp edges protruding from the mountains,? says Chowdhury from Nike.These are priced between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,500.