The Evolution of the Track Pant

Track Pants. What are they and where did they come from? Are they sweatpants, are they joggers, are they leggings, are they all one in the same? In short, the track pant is, in many ways, a variation of all three! The traditional track pant style that we see most often are wind-breaker pants that athletes rip off before heading into a game. You may also see track pants made of polyester, featuring a tapered, slim, or straight leg fit. Surely track pants don't conjure up visions of sophistication. You probably think of them as a staple item in every athlete's wardrobe or pants you wear for comfort during a long flight. What if the casual comfort athletes have been able to enjoy is mashed with the chic polish of a trouser? This is our goal to bring the new chic of polished comfort. Creating this style intrigued us to discover the origins of the track pant.

The Origin of the Track Suit

Believe it or not, the original tracksuit is FRENCH. That’s right! Emile Camuset, founder of Le Coq Sportif, is responsible for designing the first pair of track pants. They were even labeled as the “sunday uniform” soon after they were created during the 1920’s! However, the tracksuit, which is made up of track pants and a zip up jacket, officially got its name during the 1960’s, as the tracksuit was, quite literally, made for being worn on the track. In the 1970’s the tracksuit became a combination that all kinds of people were wearing; from olympians to recreational athletes, this was an activewear style that had a place in almost everyone's closet. It wasn’t until the mid to late 1980’s that the tracksuit became a statement in streetwear. 

Run-DMC is credited with making the sportswear ensemble into a distinct and popular streetwear style. The tracksuit went from being something you wore for sport, to an iconic style within the hip-hop and R&B scene, and was often the choice style for breakdancers in the 90’s. The 1990’s also saw the tracksuit making its way into the closets of those involved in organized crime. Infamous mobsters such as John Gotti were big fans of the loose-fitting design. By the late 90’s tracksuits were being worn by everyone from the Beastie Boys to Oasis. In the early 2000’s, women's clothing RTW went into tracksuit hyper drive with Paris Hilton and the infamous Juicy Couture velour tracksuit. The trendy velour tracksuit became a fashionista must-have and widely available. Then finally in 2010 the track jackets and track pants made their way to luxury. Gucci and Balmain are two notable high fashion brands that elevated the tracksuit to high-end couture, fusing street style and luxury. Since then the track pant has continued to evolve. Today, track pants come in a variety of different styles, colors, and silhouettes all hail to the raise of athleisure.

The Design of the Track Pant

Between fabric and fit and details the track pant design can vary. To be a nod to track pant the bottom must feature many of the same athletic details as the OG, like side stripe, snaps, zips and attitude. Variations of this striping detail can be seen on brands like Adidas. Their omnipresent three stripes are almost synonymous with track suits. Common details include snaps up the side of the leg (especially in styles geared towards athletes) for easy removal, decorative buttons, and/or ribbed cuffs if it is a tapered leg style. There is typically an elastic waist for easy mobility, and often a drawstring to cinch the waist. The most common fabric used to create traditional track pants is tricot, but other popular fabrics include nylon. See ROSE Go version brings the polished comfort to plus size clothing. It's our goal to create a pant that looks like a trouser, but feels like sweatpants. Functional and beautiful quality pieces like the Tailored Track Pant have long been absent from plus size fashion.

The Tailored Track Pant

Our Tailored Track Pant is a best seller bringing a modern twist to the traditional track pant design. They offer a chic and polished look with "game changing" fit (not our words! That came from a review!) This "good butt pant" (another review) has a straight leg silhouette, hidden zip pockets, signature rose gold zipper at the side seam, flat front and elastic waist band. Because we did learn from the original! One is simply not enough, the Tailored Track Pant comes in two easy colors, Classic Black, and Classic Blue. They are the perfect alternative to your worn out yoga pants. Dual purpose these as comfortable loungewear and then your trusty Zoom / grocery getting / voting pants. See what we did there? ; )

How to Style the Track Pant

There are so many ways to style our Tailored Track Pant!

Getting ready for work: In this new normal WFH, treat your track pants like leggings. Pair with a statement collar like our Tech White Signature Tunic Shirt. The chic contrast piping will frame your leadership poise while the elastic waist lets you focus on discussing the marketing budget, not secretly unbuttoning your jeans. Vogue recently created a collection of other amazing statement collars very Video worthy. 

Supporting your local restaurant: Effortlessly down town cool with the track pant and Peek-a-boo tunic. Just enough to look like you took more effort than you did. 

Volunteering at the voting polls: Keep cool with the track pant and our cooling, wicking Coolest T-shirt. You're ready for any task at hand with this look plus sneaker and hoodie. 

Coffee Run: These days you can count on a little Fall sprinkle. Top the track pants with our water resistant Camo Jacket and a scarf to stay cozy and dry on these transitional winter days.

Still need some more inspiration? Check out some of our favorite track pant looks!

We want to help you build a wardrobe full of chic, comfortable pieces that you’ll want to wear over and over again! Use code YAYPANTS for 25% off our Tailored Track Pant and add them to your closet right NOW!

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