Netball dresses also known as a Team wear. The history of netball dresses goes back to the beginning of the 20th century when women in England thought of playing basketball. Initially, they used a paper bag to a broomstick and tried to play, however it was not possible to play with the same. Thus netball dresses were designed for women that helped them to play the game without any long sleeves. For over a century there were many changes done to these netball dresses.
 |
| Netball Dress |
Usually, there are 3 types of netball dresses:
- Club Netball Dress: It is one of the most famous netball dresses. The dresses are designed according to different age groups playing, with classic shapes and side panels to fit in the body properly. It is stretchable wing panels customized as per different sizes of the bust.
- Pro Netball Dress: It has a square neckline and fits beautifully around the shoulder. The racerback style dresses are designed with special panelling and properly shaped hemline make the netball dress extremely smooth and soft.
- SuperPro Netball Dress: It is the most uniquely and technically designed netball dress. Double race back features along with fish-tail hemline makes it one of the most demanding netball dress for international teams.
What needs to be worn under netball dresses? Now, this is something that depends on the weather and comfort zone of a sportsperson. Netball shorts, sports shorts or leggings can be worn which are shorter than a dress. If the weather condition is cold then T-Shirts with long sleeves can be worn underneath.
In modern times international netball players wear netball dresses which include shorts or skirts and body tops without sleeves and these are made from an elastic material that is very light and durable. The material used is of very good quality and gives a soothing effect to athletes. It is washable and durable. It is available in a single piece.
In many countries, there are certain restrictions in terms of religious beliefs and cultures. Hence the dresses are not mandatory there. International Netball Federation had allowed few changes in the attire to suit the needs of cultural diversity and allowed wearing head coverings like Hijab so that everyone can participate without any protest. Tops with long sleeves and long tights trousers are also accepted as proper netball dress in the games. This is made in such a way that it will not disrupt the player’s movement as well as provide them with a secure feeling.
The dress code:
Different components are worn as a part of netball dresses as it requires a lot of running and physical activity. Quality of product worn needs to be taken care of for playing the game. Dress codes are guided by rules framed in the tournaments. Few as below are given needs to be worn in many of the netball games:
- Training and good quality shoes with elasticity, durability and softness.
- Socks fitting player ankle shape & size making movement comfortable.
- Shorts, skirts as per INF guidelines with exceptions as allowed.
- Netball Tops are of top quality.
- Ankle & Knee straps are recommended to prevent injury.
- Bibs are held in position by two thin plastic sheets with loops.
With regards to colour and design, it is as per clubs, countries or as per international tournaments standards.
While choosing Netball dresses team must ensure that they represent as cohesive units thus same colour dresses and outfits are required to be worn. Team names printed on the dresses also make it looks better. Females need to be given liberty as to choose which outfits need to be worn by them as per their comforts however it needs to be of the same colour.
Many companies are now offering single piece dresses which are made of a material that could stretch and give comfort. Materials like Eyelet fabrics and Meryl are used instead of Lycra as an alternative. They have their advantages are also economical.