How to Wear the Sporty Prep Trend

Over the past year, fashion has gone where it never has before: professional sports. A combination of Formula 1 collabs, Taylor Swift game day looks, and WNBA tunnel walks have influenced fashion as a whole. As a result, a unique aesthetic has taken hold—what many are calling the “sporty prep” trend.  

The athleisure-adjacent look is the love child of several mainstream fashion aesthetics: 2022’s tenniscore, 2023’s quiet luxury, and 2024’s “office siren.” It focuses on athleisure staples—like tracksuits, sneakers, baseball caps, and more—combined with your standard corporate uniform: neckties, loafers, and boxy blazers. Miu Miu is the look’s most notable purveyor, but their influence has trickled throughout the industry, leaving a trail of sweatpants and polo shirts in its wake. 

It doesn’t help that releasing a sneaker collab suddenly became fashion’s biggest flex, seemingly overnight. Sandy Liang teamed up with Salomon, Ganni released several new designs with New Balance, and Adidas x Wales Bonner was one of the most coveted collections of the year. These releases only fanned the flames of fashion’s widespread sneaker obsession, adding to the rise of the sporty prep trend.

Essentially, the wearers of this hybrid aesthetic hope to embody the aura of a fashion influencer at the US Tennis Open, or a stylish, off-duty prep school volleyball player. And there are plenty of ways to do so. Ahead, I’m laying out some fail-safe combos that make the sporty prep vibe feel easy. 

Sporty Bubble Skirts

After a full calendar year at trending status, you might be looking for a new way to wear your favorite bubble skirt. Conveniently, the sporty prep trend is ripe for it. Most people have invested in either a black or white iteration—and each one offers unique styling opportunities. White skirts, for example, play well with pastel button-downs and sneakers for a tenniscore take, while its all-black counterpart is perfect for channeling an edgier vibe (a leather jacket and matching loafers will help you accomplish that).

Workout Shorts and a Blazer

This styling trick is one of the aesthetic’s most common because it’s so effortless. Just swap your denim cut-offs for a pair of running shorts (black is the most versatile, but really any will do). Once you get the hang of wearing these casual classics, you’ll find they’re just as easy to style with blouses, button-downs, and blazers as they are with hoodies and workout tees. 

Athleisure Accessories

Suits are a timeless classic that virtually always—and I do mean always—looks cool. That said, they absolutely can be remixed for a fresh take on the tried and true style. Try wearing yours with a cotton headband and sneakers for a French girl to take on the sporty prep trend. 

Soccer Dad Goes Corporate

Fashion week has seen a wave of this style combo courtesy of on-the-go fashion editors, who have seemingly pulled inspiration from their own paternal lineage. At the office, my editorial colleagues have been known to pair workwear staples, like dress shirts and blazers with father figure staples like light-wash jeans, running shoes, and baseball caps. It’s perfect for anyone who prefers a more androgynous vibe. 

Europecore Baseball Cap

Europecore style is another TikTok-based trend that played a role in sporty prep’s origin story—specifically, its use of the silk scarf. Where rich girls would wrap it out around their head for a drive through the Italian coast, the sporty prep trend encourages wearing them similarly, but with the addition of a baseball cap. The pairing is incredibly versatile and can be styled with everything from sweatpants to cottagecore midi dresses.

Redefining the Sweat Suit

To make sweatpants fashionable is the ultimate test in styling. They’re an anti-fashion staple and, as such, dressing them up is near-impossible to do. But with a few well-chosen preppy basics, it actually can be done. One such way is replacing your usual work trousers with joggers for an unexpected pairing that hits just as hard.

Graphic Tee and Tube Socks

Yes, we’re back in our wearing-socks-with-high-heels era. Every few years this combo pops back up again and, in 2025, its resurgence coincides with the sporty prep look. Double up on the workout vibes with a graphic tee, then add a bit of contrast via super girly staples, like a lacey skirt.

An Elevated Jersey

Of all sports paraphernalia, jerseys have made particular inroads in the fashion community. Motocross, basketball, baseball, and more are no longer reserved for tailgates. And they’re actually quite easy to modify with a preppy feel. Style yours with pearls and a luxurious bag or with a frilly skirt and pumps. 

Adidas Tracksuits With Everything

The three-stripe motif has effectively taken over, with Adidas tracksuits now considered the height of fashion. Fans are wearing them in the most unexpected of ways, styling the sporty co-ord with pumps, lady jackets, and beyond.

Sporty Trench Coat

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the “quiet luxury” craze, it’s that trench coats can be styled with pretty much anything—including sweatpants, apparently. Fashion girls love wearing them with leggings and baseball caps on the weekend, but a pair of (well-fitted) sweats can take that relaxed, cool-girl look one step further. 

Varsity Jacket

The Adidas track jacket may get all the glory, but don’t sleep on a good old-fashioned letterman. Thrift stores are rife with them and once you find a good one, they can be used in a myriad of ways. A simple white tee and jeans are the most obvious, but varsity jackets also look great with equestrian-inspired styles like plaid skirts and knee-high boots.