The words 'fashion sensibility' and 'sports apparel' were once seldom seen in the same sentence, much less on an athlete.

Dull or, even worse, gaudy sports bras and tights and shapeless tops, shorts and jogging pants formed the staples in a female runner's wardrobe.

Fast forward about three years and triathlete Vicky Cambell, 24, says she wants her outfit for Sunday's Shape Run - a women-only event at Marina Bay, with 5km and 10km routes - to match her purple and orange Nike Women's Air Zoom RS+ trainers.

It will not be difficult for Cambell to achieve her desired look.

Sporting goods companies are realising that women want to look good even when they are sweating it out.

Cooling Lace spandex tank top, $79, and Nike Plus Runn ing Capri, $75, both from Nike; wristbands, $9 a pair, from Puma; trainers, $149, by Reebok from Stadium	Short-sleeve printed T-shirt, $29, nylon jacket, $79, cotton shorts, $29, and trainers, $129, all from Puma; socks, stylist's own	Lycra tennis polo, nylon running vest and nylon studio pants, prices unavailable, all from adidas by Stella McCartney; Chrono watch with leather strap, $610, by Zodiac from Tangs Orchard, Level 3; Nike Free trainers, $159, from Nike

'Like it or not, there is a growing trend of designer sportswear,' says Eric Chen, local brand manager of sportswear giant adidas. 'As the market changes, women with financial independence develop changing needs. It is now a norm that women want to look good while exercising.'

In 2004 alone, athletic women were treated to two new designer sportswear labels.

The first was adidas' collaboration with British fashion designer Stella McCartney, which was soon followed by Nuala, Puma's yogawear tie-up with supermodel Christy Turlington.

Sportswear suddenly became pretty and cool enough to wear beyond the running track.

For instance, this season's adidas in the Stella McCartney range comes in a girly, nature-inspired colour palette with the occasional intense pink and neon yellow for added edge. Cosmetic details such as ruches and scallop frills usually reserved for streetwear have also found their way onto sports jackets and skirts.

Nike joined the specialised sports apparel market with the launch of its Nike Women range in May last year.

The latest collection features a black and dark blue corset-looking tank top with lace side panelling. Women might also be interested in a light blue cheongsam-inspired track top said to give them a slimmer silhouette, thanks to strategically placed strips of reflective taping.

Nike Women is the co-presenter of the Shape Run 2007.

Beverly Wong, marketing communications manager of Nike Singapore, says what Nike Women is trying to achieve is functionality and femininity.

Female athletes should be able to excel in performance as well as they do in the style department.

In fact, running apparel from adidas by Stella McCartney is made with a reflective, lightweight material powered by special TechFit Powerweb technology. Apart from making sure that runners stay visible at night, the clothing is said to reduce muscle vibration and improve posture.

Meanwhile, the embroidered lace that Nike uses has a cooling technology that repels sweat, making sure that the wearer can move freely without having the material stick to her skin. The reflective taping on the track top hides perforated vents that keep a woman feeling cool at her key perspiration zones.

Wong points out that it should be the top priority of all sports apparel companies to make sure that their products are functional.

By combining functionality, comfort and aesthetic design, a woman can feel confident exercising, she says.

So what is Nike-sponsored triathlete Cambell going to be wearing to the SPH Magazines-organised Shape Run?

'Most likely pink. Even though it's such a feminine colour and I hate it, it matches the colour of my shoes,' she says.