Sorry, Karl :(

The great Karl Lagerfeld once said “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” While his numerous groundbreaking and gorgeous designs for Chanel and Fendi will stand the test of time, this quote of his most certainly didn’t. As now more and more high-end brands push forward not only sweatpants but full tracksuits as part of their latest offerings season after season.

Interestingly enough the oversized tracksuits trend gained traction in reverse order, usually, big-name brands release something that eventually becomes a trend and many high-street and fast fashion companies with their insane turnover times, makes affordable alternatives for the masses. But with the tracksuit trend, it seems as though it started through the high-street and fast fashion scene with the big-name brands then following suit after, given the high amounts of the style being showcased around social media.

Another quote famously said by Karl Lagerfeld is “Trendy is the last stage before tacky.” While it does hold true to some degree, especially in the speed at which trends come and go in today's age thanks to social media, I strongly believe the oversized tracksuit trend is something that will never get tacky for many reasons.

1. Style

This style of dressing has been done before by the like many famous historical athletes such as Muhammad Ali for the function of working out. The modern take on it is to dress it down and act as a throw on for a day out in the city or running a quick errand to the bakery in the morning. The improvements in quality and fit that have been adopted by fashion brands on this style have given a new direction towards athleisure, which isn’t the typical tight-fitting and compressing the muscles.

2. Minimalist

Apart from fit, fabric weight and price which can vary from brand to brand, there really isn’t rocket science to wearing a full sweatsuit. This is one of the styles that I feel anyone even the ones that are starting to dip their toes into fashion, can get into really easily and comfortably, depending on the person's budget it doesn’t really break the bank either. Since both the top and pants are already matching each other most of the work is done for you! Now, all it takes for you to add a personal touch to it, whether it is a jacket, coat or even bag of choice. The possibilities are limitless!

3. Versatility

As mentioned before oversized tracksuits have an abundance of possibilities in terms of styling. Whether going for the minimal or wild aesthetic, there is something of everyone's taste here. Personally, I think the minimalistic approach is a great allrounder style that is often seen plastered on Instagram’s explore feed, but being the “fashion head” that I am and low-key might just be the inner hipster in me I tend to go for style mine in a way that isn’t too mainstream and staying true to my personal style.

4. Comfort

Last and certainly not least, I’d say the most appealing things about the oversized tracksuit trend is none other than it’s unrivalled comfort. Some days you really just want to be as comfortable as you can be, whilst still remaining as stylish as you can. I think comfort has become a big contributor to why fashion has transitioned towards a wider and looser cut. Still, it’s good to have a mix of well polish looks and as demonstrated the oversized tracksuit look can be easily added into your current wardrobe rotation.

With the examples given I hope you are able to grasp why this trend has amassed such a following and has become one of the latest trends on social media. Its incredible versatility, timeless design and cozy comforts are some of the reasons why this trend, I genuinely believe is worth every dollar of the occasional impulse purchase.

Click here for some places to make your first oversized tracksuit purchase.