Fashion & Sports; ‘Look Good, Play Good’ (Feature Sports Story on Gigi Torres)

By ANGELINA ARELLANO  

The Tower 

From stockings on one leg to sleeves on arms, to immense sunglasses, it's clear that athletes proudly represent themselves through their clothing. 

Manteca High sophomore Gigi Torres shows enthusiasm and passion for athletics while wearing the right attire. Torres is an inspirational and kind-hearted athlete who brings a smile to everybody she meets, offering valuable insight not just into what she does, but who she is as a fashion-forward student-athlete. 

Torres responds by sharing her initial thoughts about fashion and how it has impacted her throughout her experience in sports. She explains how fashion may resemble a connection to representing yourself. 

“My athleticism has always been something I’ve grown up with, so without sports and my identity of being that I don’t know what I’d look like or how I’d be,” Torres said. “But definitely, sports have made a big impact on how I carry myself and how I like to look in everything I do.” 

Torres has been very involved in the community, particularly for being a player in girls' flag football. A big aspect of her involvement in girls' flag football is making her teammates feel welcome and included. 

“I like to include them in what I do and how I present myself because if I’m comfortable in what I’m wearing, then I like to make others feel comfortable in what they’re wearing as well,” Torres said. 

Torres has also looked to her peers, such as male athletes, for inspiration in her fashion sense. Finding that fashion sense brings empowerment to your presence and helps you lead with confidence. 

“Currently, I like to copy the male football players and how they dress,” Torres said. “I know females are just getting into flag football and what we wear, but I feel like I connect more with how the football players dress.” 

Manteca High student Quinn Martinez is respectful and thoughtful about his fashion choices. He places importance on the people he loves and finds inspiration in them. His appearance makes a bold statement in fashion. 

Martinez considers his father an inspiration for his fashion sense. He continues the legacy of wearing what looks good on the field, just as his father did. 

“When he was young and played in high school, he always looked good. Every game he played in, and I feel like that’s what helped him be the player he was back then,” Martinez said. 

Martinez’s father also shows enthusiasm for fashion through his own clothing line, "Uniq Supply." 

Martinez is very involved in sports, excelling as a multi-sport student-athlete (football and track and field), being named VOL MVP for football as a junior, and earning many other accolades. His success is evident through his educational and athletic achievements, with more than 40 scholarships offered to him. 

It’s clear that both Torres and Martinez represent a fashionable sense of style while playing sports.