When is it appropriate to wear a perfectly matching sweatsuit (and is it ever appropriate?) When I see people wearing sweatpants and sweatpants together, I think it’s disgusting You may. And sometimes I can’t help but want to wear it too. Which side of me is correct? — Pepper, New York
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose flair for dramatic statements is matched only by his flair for dreaming up extraordinary clothes, once declared that sweatpants were “a sign of defeat.”
This statement goes to show that the amorphous sweatpants-and-sweatshirt style, otherwise known as the sweatsuit, was once synonymous with the elderly gym teacher and out-of-shape jogger Rocky Balboa. would suggest. Is it a sign of complete and total surrender?
perhaps. Or perhaps it’s a triumphant return, given that this is fashion, and nothing in the fashion world is more certain than that what’s been around will come back in style.
In fact, sweatsuits, aka everyday pajamas, have been making a comeback since the coronavirus pandemic. That era, when we valued comfortable clothing above all else, coincided with Gen Alpha’s celebration of his Y2K, including an era-defining piece: the Juicy Couture velor sweatsuit. The discovery was made by Miu Miu-led “setWhether it’s Miuccia Prada’s matching crop top and tiny little skirt, Versace’s short pajamas, or, yes, matching sweatpants and sweatshirt.
Demna, a designer behind Balenciaga known for reimagining streetwear totems as luxury, has embraced this idea through his 2022 collaboration with Balenciaga and Adidas, creating not only his signature oversized hoodies but also tracks. I also brought in a suit. Indeed, it was great. It’s a sleeker, more globalized version of the sweatsuit, one with its own cultural semiotics thanks to hip-hop. Last month, he went a step further and paid homage to the juicy sweatsuit at his Los Angeles-inspired fall 2024 show, held in Los Angeles.
Unsurprisingly, TikTok embraced the trend, with influencers of all kinds discovering the joys of sweats. They don’t exactly call sweats that. We’ll talk more about this later, especially as a solution to all your airport problems. Or as a way to look more put together than wearing drawstring pajama flannels and a t-shirt in public.
Although “suits” have gotten a bad rap in recent years, the essential concept of pairing tops and bottoms to create a seamless line and suggest a bit of coordination remains an effective approach to dressing.
To this end, sweatsuits have evolved beyond the usual fleece and baggy proportions, not to mention the whole concept of “sweat”, and are now available in materials such as: cashmere With wool, I often pair smaller tops with looser bottoms and vice versa. (For example, Everlane offers:) “Straight leg” sweatpantsThey are essentially regular pants with an elastic waist. ) I don’t use these options for jogging, but they are very good for walking around when off duty.
As with most things, details are key. Wearing a sweatsuit with a sweatband and sneakers will make you look like a victim of a never-ending cycle of New Year’s workout resolutions. Pair it with a nice handbag and a trench coat and you’ll look like a modern-day Jean Harlow out for some fresh air.
It’s really a matter of framework. Sure, the sweatsuit as we once knew it may be dead, but long live the lounge suit. Or, as influencers like to call it, “matching sweat suit set” or “sweat set” This is like reinventing Target as Tar-gét. It’s the same word, but it has a completely new meaning.
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