Are sweatsuits a fashion trend again or did they ever leave?

During the holidays my twelve year old niece asked me to get her a sweatsuit outfit. Sort of shocked by the request at the time, in my head thinking, You will not be getting a velour sweatsuit with juicy on the butt! But then I started to see cotton/polyester blend sweatsuits out more and more within the last couple months Which led me to think, Are sweatsuits a fashion trend again or did they never leave?

History on sweatsuits… The first pair of sweatpants were invented back in 1920 by a French brand called Le Coq Sportif. The founder, Emile Camuset, saw a much needed need for comfortable sportswear for athletes to absorb sweat hence the creation of sweatpants was born; The classic gray, baggy jersey knit fabric pants were worn by Olympic athletes across the world as well as NASA astronauts, who trained in them. It was not until 1939, when he invented the tracksuit or sweatsuit which was initially known as “The Sunday Suit”. As you can imagine by the name, it was worn by people at home or doing exercise.

Flash forward to the 1980’s when tracksuits and sweatsuits sweeped the hip-hop scene. Adidas endorsed the music genre and changed the once seen as at home/ gym wear suit and made it fashionably accepted wherever. The oversize fit still stayed but got rid of the elastic at the leg opening to give it an urban, more streetwear style. Coincidentally, during this time Le Coq was bought by Adidas. (That’s one way to take out the competition.) Sweatsuits slowly took a back seat as 1980s hip hop slowly started to transform into boy bands and pop stars. And as the great Britney Spears said “Oops, I did it again” ,they reappeared in the 2000s rejuvenated. Anyone that was someone had their picture taken by the paparazzi in the classic velour tracksuit. More and more women were wearing tracksuits and not scrutinized for doing so.

Which leads me to the thought of what my twelve year old niece wanted. Gen Z has attached themselves to the Y2K trends as retro-futuristic fashion. My once favorite butterfly clips have re-emerged back on the scene. Obviously, they don’t remember the trend like we (Millennials) do since they were babies but they are embracing it just like we did back in the day. The trend highlights being comfortable but standing out with an oversize fit, bright colors (Hi Barbie Pink!) and catchy phrases. For Gen Zs, they want a voice and make a statement.

So for sweatsuits… even though sweats have been frown upon in shows and movies as sloppy or “lazy” attire, this is a silhouette that will be sought after forever. It’s not going away! They will keep evolving as the world continues to strive to be fashionable and comfortable. You can dress them up with a pair of stilettos or stay chic and casual with a pair of golden goose sneakers. The price range is for everyone as well. You can get something from Spanx ranging from $250-280 (Oprah’s favorites in 2023) for a set or head to Walmart for a more price-friendly set for $20-$40.