From the early days of hip-hop to the present-day streetwear phenomenon, sportswear has proven its staying power in the fashion world. With brands like Adidas and Gucci popularizing athletic wear as a fashion statement, the luxury fashion world is scrambling to keep up. The high-low mix of sporty staples and high-fashion pieces is a key element of the trend, with designers like Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton incorporating tracksuits and ski jackets into their collections. The versatility of sportswear is also on display, with the style set pairing Adidas trackpants with everything from boxy blazers to statement knits. As the fashion world continues to grapple with the trend, one thing is clear: sportswear is here to stay.
The fashion set is embracing sports attire in their street style and runway looks, says Suzie Coen. It's difficult to overstate the enduring popularity of sportswear.
From the Phoebe Philo-ites in their polo shirts, tailoring and Stan Smiths back in 2012 to the present-day Grace Wales Bonner super-fans (who proudly show off her Adidas collabs like initiated members of a tribe), sportswear has proven it has the kind of staying power that deems trend cycles irrelevant. And it has left the luxury fashion world somewhat scrambling to keep up.
This is mostly because it's a look that originated on the street before climbing its way up to the runway, rather than the other way around. And perhaps this explains why the trend is so long-lasting - it's simply what people want. Streetwear is, of course, indisputably associated with hip-hop. Staples such as tracksuits and logo t-shirts have been, broadly speaking, the uniform for rappers from Grandmaster Flash and Missy Elliott to Kendrick Lamar.
The early days saw B-boys and B-girls rocking Adidas tracksuits, chunky gold chains, and freshly unboxed kicks, turning athletic wear into must-have fashion statements. Black culture has always been the heartbeat of streetwear, explains producer and stylist Zeda, aka Oyindamola Animashaun. From hip-hop and dancehall to basketball and grime, Black communities took practical athletic pieces and turned them into symbols of identity, confidence and rebellion.
In the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop culture popularised brands like Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, styling these buttoned-up brands with an air of cool that revolutionised the genre. Adidas trackpants feel so right because they have become the ultimate expression of the fashion set's holy grail: the high-low mix. From logomania to the explosion of sneaker culture, Black designers and Afrocentric culture have shaped the fashion industry for decades and consistently present as a stylistic and cultural influence on runways.
This season, sporty staples played a starring role in a number of banner collections. Miu Miu showed swishy windbreakers and tracksuits with its typical preppy fare, while at Louis Vuitton and Undercover, ski jackets and puffer coats complemented avant-garde tailoring. Spandex, fresh from the Pilates studio, was on view once again at Alaïa, while trackpant-style trousers walked at Tory Burch. But you don't have to look to designer clothing for guidance on sportswear.
Adidas's trackpants - both the classic Firebirds and the collaboration with British-Jamaican designer Wales Bonner - has helmed the sportswear- but-make-it-fashion style. Its three stripes have become as ubiquitous at fashion week as Maison Margiela's in-the-know four stitches. The style set has illustrated the versatility of this casual piece, pairing it with everything from boxy blazers and tailored coats to statement knits and unexpected shoes.
The Copenhagen crowd of clothes horses wear their trackies with Cuban-heeled ankle boots, which sounds stranger than it looks, I promise. I'm an OG Adidas lover, says Zeda, a classic three-stripe lifer! For me, the trackpant works because it carries attitude and nostalgia at the same time. It's rooted in sport, music and culture, but when you pair it with tailoring, it becomes a power move.
Stylist and writer Corina Gaffey notes that Adidas trackpants feel so right because they have become the ultimate expression of the fashion set's holy grail: the high-low mix. There's a tension, an unexpectedness when you pair tracksuits in an unusual way that adds a flair and individuality. It looks intentional, polished and put-together and like you know what you're doing. For me, it's all about having at least one or two polished pieces together with a tracksuit.
I like doing a t-shirt or a polo shirt with my trackpants, then adding a blazer and ballet shoes to smarten it up. A crisp shirt, like a striped button-down, works well too. The main takeaways? Don't be afraid of a colour clash: Adidas tracksuit bottoms come in a rainbow of hues and will make for a feel-good pairing with equally bright separates - think green and red or black and blue.
And don't forget to check out both the men's and women's sections of vintage sites for pre-loved iterations. Moving on from the well-trodden path of logo tees, sports jerseys are the spring top everyone wants to wear. Blame it on Rihanna, who has almost singlehandedly turned a sports jersey into a street style staple, or Dua Lipa, who is continually papped wearing vintage football shirts. It makes sense.
It taps into that same effortless but intentional dressing vibe - oversized, comfortable, but packed with personality. Vintage sports jerseys work because they feel lived-in and iconic at the same time, says Zeda. They bring instant character to a look. I like wearing them with sharp trousers or elevated accessories, so the outfit feels styled, not sporty.
It's all about the juxtaposition of old and new, comfort and polish, and, of course, a dash of nostalgia
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