Women's sports of all kinds―whether mainstream (basketball, soccer, and tennis) or more alternative (surfing and skateboarding)―have taken athletic-influenced fashion well beyond the locker room and into trendy teen wardrobes everywhere. Media exposure has only further championed the cause, as movies like "Blue Crush," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," and "Bend it Like Beckham," along with MTV's series "Surf Girls," have cemented the widespread acceptance of sport-specific apparel and accessories. And since it's a trend with staying power, retailers are diving in head first. One of the best examples of how athletic influences can spike sales at retail is Pacific Sunwear of California. Now boasting nearly 800 stores across the country, the chain began as a humble beachside surf shop 23 years ago. To keep off-season sales steady, it came up with a better idea: Move from the beach to the malls, with popular, surf-specific apparel and accessory brands including Roxy, Hurley, and O'Neill. While sales at many other chains and department stores languished last year, PacSun's surged by 24 percent.
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