From the Streets to the Runway, the Essential Tracksuit.

Martha Norelius, American swimming champion, posed in one after her 1928 victory. Made of jersey or polyester, it was a get-up worn over the swimsuit to keep the muscles warm between training sessions. It soon became the athletic uniform, manufactured during the 20s and 30s by the founder of Le Coq Sportif, Emile Camuset. It would keep its initial function and stay in the locker rooms until the 70s, when a healthy living fad kicked off in the U.S. With jogging to the sounds of a Walkman now a popular pastime, the tracksuit hit the streets.

And yet it would take until the late 90s for it to separate from the sporting world and become omnipresent in street culture. Hip-hop and breakdancing adopted it thanks to its fluidity and ease of movements, conveying a counter-culture spirit.At the height of the sportswear craze, brands would offer the jackets and pants separately with a diversity of cuts, shapes, and materials perfectly adapted to women’s fashion. Ever since, the 2010s have confirmed a penchant for “casual chic” with the return of Coco Chanel’s yachting pants or Alexander McQueen’s chic version of the sweatsuit. 

Invading sports fields in the beginning, then the streets to finally reach the runway, a couture or designer tracksuit is one of the iconic pieces in the ideal wardrobe of any traveler, fashionista, or adventurer.