Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson
August 26, 2022
Summer intern Jenna Tomasch works on sportswear design and research
Jenna Tomasch, a sophomore fashion design and product innovation student at the University of Delaware Honors College, remembers trying on her high school volleyball uniform and not being happy with the way it fit. The small size was too tight in the chest and offered limited shoulder mobility, necessary for serving, blocking and diving in a game of volleyball. The medium fit her chest better, but was too loose at the waist, and Tomasch found the extra fabric distracting.
Now, as a summer intern working with Professor Kelly Cobb, Professor Belinda Orzada, and international scholar Jie Diao, Tomasch hopes to address some of the frustrations she faced as a student-athlete using direct observation, visual analysis, and groups. approach to understanding sportswear. needs of college athletes. Although Tomasch does not play volleyball at UD, she hopes that by combining her research with her experience playing the sport at the high school level, she will be able to help improve the performance of athletes at UD and beyond.
“Making athletes feel more comfortable and confident, that’s really what we’re focused on, because that’s what’s going to really improve performance,” said Tomasch, who has been dubbed by Cobb a fash-a-lete. “We want to make sure the garments are comfortable to wear so they don’t restrict movement. But let’s also be honest, if you don’t feel confident and comfortable in your uniform, you’re not going to play well, so we really want to make sure things fit the way the athletes want so they can play at their best. to the best of his ability.”
Tomasch’s research focus is on college athletes, as they don’t receive the same attention as professional or Olympic athletes. His findings, she said, could trickle down to the high school level or even youth sports. She also decided to focus her research on women’s volleyball uniforms specifically not only because she has a background as a female athlete in the sport, but also because, when women started playing sports, women’s team sports did not yet exist. So what did the women do? They put on the men’s jersey and played.
“The problem is that sports equipment and athletic apparel are traditionally made based on men’s sizes,” Cobb said. “There have been wonderful innovations in sizing, but many of the more traditional companies still use traditional size charts, which are based on men’s bodies. And when women’s bodies are in motion, there’s an entirely different criteria that we should design for.”
While many sportswear manufacturers focus on creating “athletic” clothing (combined sports and leisure wear) that appeals to the masses and not just athletes, Tomasch and Cobb have decided to focus on the athlete. At its core, Cobb said this work is about making clothes that meet function and fit requirements by including the wearer in the design.
“Ideally, we would all have clothes that fit our shape, our movements and our expression,” Cobb said. “Overproduction of clothing that does not meet consumer needs is unsustainable. We envision a future where co-creation and customization of clothing will be the norm.”
Tomasch isn’t sure she wants to work in the sportswear industry after graduation; After all, she’s only a sophomore and she said she loves evening gowns as much as she loves sportswear, but her research experience will undeniably give her a competitive advantage in the job market.
“There is no formal program right now that combines fashion and sports in this way,” Cobb said. “We have a wearable class and there is summer research, but we really see this as a valuable opportunity. I think sports brands are looking for this experience, so we want to encourage that.”
Source: www.udel.edu