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ASICS is taking a new approach to keeping girls engaged in physical education with its Undropped Kit, a reimagined physical education uniform designed to address comfort issues that contribute to 64% of UK girls abandoning sports before age 16. Working alongside Inclusive Sportswear and mental health charity Mind, ASICS conducted extensive research through focus groups, surveys and a school trial in Burnley, where PE engagement is just 38.2%. Their study revealed that 70% of girls would be more likely to participate in PE if their kit made them feel more comfortable, and only 12% are completely satisfied with their current uniforms.The Undropped Kit concept tackles this issue head-on with sportswear that accommodates different body shapes, weather conditions and personal styles (and even includes an emergency hair tie). While not available for purchase, the prototype serves as a powerful demonstration of how thoughtful design can eliminate distractions and discomfort during physical activity. "With this new kit, you're not thinking about what you're wearing, you're just thinking about having fun and enjoying the sport you're doing," explains Tilly Taylor, a school ambassador for the initiative.TREND BITE"Our kit is itchy, see-through and makes you really sweaty." "We worry period leaks will show." "Our kit is baggy and shapeless. It feels like it was made for boys." Teen girls aren't dropping out because they don't like sports. They're dropping out because kit makes them feel exposed, uncomfortable, or "different." By reframing gym clothes as confidence-enablers, ASICS taps into a wider consumer desire for apparel thats not only functional, but emotionally supportive (think: period-proof underwear, adaptive fashion, modest swimwear).The link between physical activity and mental wellbeing is well-established, yet barriers to participation often go unaddressed. ASICS is zooming in on the fragile transition years when teenage girls often disengage. That shift puts the focus on keeping girls in the game, not just celebrating star athletes who rise to the top. As sportswear brands navigate the intersection of physical and mental health, expect more companies to recognize that groundbreaking design isn't limited to performance enhancement, but could start with removing barriers to participation.
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