Up until the 1920s, physical education instructors strongly opposed women's competition. They feared it would make females appear less feminine.  Upon entering the '20s, the fashion became skimpier, consequently shedding a new emphasis on athletically fit bodies. This helped narrow the gap between health and glamour. With time, women's sports and athletic fashion has grown immensely. However, I feel that we still have a long way to go.

When gazing over any store where athletic and sports fan apparel are sold, there becomes a sad and rather obvious difference between the male and female sections.  Not only do the girls lack in quantity, but we also lack in variety.  

Scanning through the section you catch a sea of white, pink and black workout clothes. Occasionally there is a light blue or yellow shirt or sports bra hanging around somewhere to the side. Did everybody forget about the rest of the rainbow? Or the fact that lumping all women into a certain stereotype is completely ridiculous?

Sports fan apparel isn't any better. When going online to any major league website to look for jerseys, hoodies, t-shirts-anything from your favorite team-you'll notice that male items dominate the merchandise.  This leaves us with the option of either buying something from the slim choices in the women's section, or buying something that doesn't fit right from the guys' section.

Now, there is nothing wrong with throwing on an oversized, boxy t-shirt and rooting for your favorite team.  There is also nothing wrong with having a Detroit Tiger's shirt with the letter "D" on it in bright pink. But wouldn't it be nice if us ladies had other options, too? Because, quite frankly, I'm tired of searching for a size small t-shirt in the men's section.

Luckily, someone else felt the same way I do. Alyssa Milano (actress, singer and producer) has come out with a clothing line called "Touch."

"It's basically a licensed female fan apparel line that's cute and fits a girl's body... that's not pink and I'm very, very proud of it," Milano said in an interview with YesNetwork.com.

Milano's line is in collaboration with the MLB and G3Sports. Within the last year her line has expanded to other leagues including the NFL, NHL, NBA and even college.

Fandalia.com is a "premier boutique" for Milano's line.  The designs by "Touch" are created for every team in each league just for the female fans.

When you ladies are looking for some great new fan apparel don't go searching in the men's department. Instead, check out Alyssa Milano's line and buy something that was actually made for you.

GCM photo by Janel Haddix

By Danielle Tuckfield

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