'Girls shouldn't feel insecure in their PE kit'

Kayleigh, Jen and Tilly wearing prototypes of a new school sports kit designed for teenage girls.

Teenage girls who said they "hated" PE lessons because their kit was too uncomfortable have helped design clothes to encourage more young females to do sport.

Jen, 15, said she had to "constantly" pull her shorts up "because they were designed for a boy", while fellow Burnley High School pupil Tilly said "everybody used to be dressed the exact same".

They have been testing more comfortable kit featuring items like gilets, layered skorts and leggings that they helped develop with activewear brand ASICS and mental health charity Mind.

Research by charity Women in Sport found 64% of girls drop out of sport at school at 16, with one of the main reasons given being the clothes they have to wear.

The reimagined kit gives the girls options for what they want to wear

Other reasons why girls felt uncomfortable in PE kits included 'shapeless design', 'period concerns' and 'sweat absorption and visibility', according to research commissioned by ASICS.

The redesign has also been backed by Inclusive Sportswear, a non-profit organisation started by Team GB hockey player Tess Howard to champion giving more pupils a choice about what they wear for sport.

"A PE kit is the most underrated reason girls drop out of PE, but the good news is we can fix it," she said.

"By listening to girls and evolving kit to support their needs, we can lift this barrier."

Jen said that before the new kit, she "didn't realise how uncomfortable the PE kit was and how much it was holding us back".

She also said "there would be more girls in the sport industry" if they wore clothes like the redesigned ones.

The girls saw themselves on an electronic billboard in their home town, Burnley, as part of the campaign.

Kayleigh, 15, said she "hated" PE and did not want to take part in lessons.

"This PE kit is a good opportunity for people to feel a lot more [comfortable] and want to do sports in school," she added.

Tilly, also 15, said wearing the reimagined clothing around school would make her feel more confident.

'Dropping out'

Burnley High School was specifically chosen to test the kit after Sport England identified the area as one of the regions in the UK with the lowest participation in PE.

Assistant headteacher Owen Roberts said the issues of low participation in sport in school was a problem that needed to be "brought to everybody's attention".

PE teacher Amelia Walton added: "The girls here at our school love taking part in sport.

"We don't want people dropping out due to poor PE kit."

Hayley Jarvis, head of physical activity at Mind, said: "It's deeply concerning to see so many teenage girls dropping out of PE in such big numbers.

"While the reasons are complex, simple changes like adapting PE kit could help girls feel more comfortable to stay active, giving them a lifelong tool to support their mental health."