The Matching Tracksuit: A Pandemic Status Symbol?
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
What's going on here?
To cope with the loss of sales and profits, businesses in the fashion industry started to reorganise their clothing line and prioritised clothes that could be popular during the pandemic. Since a significant portion of workers began working from home, these businesses advertised clothes that are both professional and comfortable enough to be worn at home.
The "matching tracksuit" became one of these outfits. However, not everyone gets to work from home or can afford to buy high-end tracksuits from luxury brands. This has catapulted the tracksuit into a status symbol.
Highlights:
In February 2021, Vogue published an article about how white and cream tracksuits represent the peak status symbol in the fashion world. Those who can wear white while staying indoors, working, and caring for family members (especially children) are viewed as privileged - it shows a lack of worry over getting their pristine outfits dirty.
These white matching tracksuits are typically made by luxury brands using gorgeous and expensive material.
Most of these designers are placing emphasis on the comfort of the wearer, and believe that this will change the next trend in fashion.
Smaller companies are also jumping on the trend, creating tracksuits and other matching outfits that are comfortable and professional to wear at home, see Sister Studios and Whimsigirl.
Quotes:
“When people are having more limited experiences on a day-to-day basis, they focus on the little comforts and details of what they are wearing and surrounding themselves with."
Brooklyn-based designer Lauren Manoogian
"It's definitely not anything we thought we would ever go into...Everyone was asking if we were going to do trackies. We just listened to our customer and went with that."
Sister Studios Co-founder Emma Cutri
Useful Vocabulary:
remote working/working from home
juxtapositions: to contrast two things
to elevate a simple cosy piece: to improve an existing product/trend/practice
evoking an off-duty spirit: when someone is outside of work
I gravitate towards paler colours: prefer
on a day-to-day basis: something that is done/repeated every day
Discussion Questions:
What was your first impression of this trend? Was it a positive or negative trend? Why?
In your opinion, why did the matching tracksuit become a trend during the pandemic? What was the most important factor?
Before this article, have you heard about this tracksuit trend? Was it a popular trend in your country?
Do you think this trend highlights the disparity between the rich, middle-income, and lower-income groups in society? Do you think this is problematic during a pandemic? Why/why not?
Would you consider jumping on board the trend? Why or why not?
What are your thoughts on these questions and the article?
Leave your comments down below!
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