Mel C on Her Spice Girls Outfits: ‘I Accidentally Created a Genderless Look’

The Spice Girls helped define 90s fashion and Mel C, also known as Sporty Spice, recently reflected on her role in that aesthetic era, which has recently made a comeback.

"I love the fact that, even after almost 30 years, I’m still one of the most famous tracksuits wearers in the country," the singer said in a personal essay for the Sunday Times.

The Sporty Spice look, which she described as "a tracksuit paired with a crop top or footie shirt and trainers" was born by accident and based on her initial reaction to the type of athletic clothing being made for women at the time.

"When I was in the Spice Girls I was sent clothing for free — it was amazing, everything from Ellesse and Sergio Tacchini to Adidas and Nike. I accidentally created a genderless look, but that happened mainly because I hated all the female sportswear being made at the time," she said. "Men’s sportswear was better: it was cooler."

There were other layers that informed the practicality of her wardrobe choices: When the Spice Girls started, they had limited resources and Mel C didn't want to spend much time in hair, makeup and wardrobe. She was also always into sports and recalled a Liverpool FC tracksuit her dad got her for Christmas when she was 12.

After she went solo, she stopped wearing tracksuits to "distance" herself from anything too Spice Girls. But after the group's second reunion in 2019, Mel C "made peace" with her Sporty Spice persona.

She revealed that she currently has about 30 tracksuits in rotation and would like to one day own a range of tracksuits.

Today, Mel C can see the influence she's had on fashion, from her teenage daughter swapping clothes with her to the sportswear she sees in stores:

"I remember walking into Urban Outfitters and thinking: 'Hang on a minute — someone has raided my wardrobe from the Nineties!' I try to remind my daughter that her mother is responsible for a lot of that, but she usually isn’t having any of it!"