Tracksuit bottoms: no longer just for the couch

From souped-up sweaters to runners that work from day to night, sports luxe – or athleisure – dominated the catwalks for spring. The standout piece of the season? Humble tracksuit bottoms.

Sweats, traditionally reserved for couch days at home or working out, don’t exactly exude high style, but clearly designers are making an effort to change that. There was a time when tracksuits were the preserve of Paris Hilton in her saccharine-coloured velour, Tony Soprano with his statement shellsuit or Sporty Spice with her three-stripe Adidas pair.

Now the bad-taste-meets-good-taste movement is hitting its stride on the runway, with elegant joggers seen at Chloé (low-slung with a light racing stripe and an off-the-shoulder blouse) and at Loewe (where tracksuit trousers received the luxe touch in swathes of supple suede). Fashion’s favourite designer duo, Vetements, who are now creatively directing Balenciaga, are adding to the jogging-bottoms mania with a sell-out €400 pair.

The trend, which was in evidence at fashion week in February on key street-style adopters Veronika Heilbrunner, Jessica Mercedes and Pernille Teisbaek, is set to become a high-street phenomenon.

It’s little wonder that the fashion world is finally seizing upon something that is casual but can still look chic. Plus there’s that small matter of comfort: what could be better than an elasticated waistband?

Sign of defeat?

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld might think that to wear tracksuit bottoms is to give up on life – “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants,” he once said – but these aren’t the kind of trousers you wear for housework, gardening or stretching out on the couch. Forget your sloppy grey hoodie and baggy joggers, the new trousers are athletic without running into tracksuit territory. Think standout, not workout.

To really adopt the trend, luxe fabrics are key, and joggers are available in every fabric from silk to leather, making them versatile enough to be appropriate for many occasions. From travel-ready casual to heels-and-hair-do fancy, track pants have firmly moved from the gym and couch and can serve as an elegant foundation to your fashion uniform.

To try this at home, take tracksuit bottoms to the next level with a pair cut from a luxe cloth but boasting a slouchy silhouette. Style them with simple sweaters in corresponding colours, or layer a Breton stripe T-shirt, denim shirt or white blouse with a structured blazer over your joggers of choice. The key to mastering the track-pants trend is nailing the “smasual” (smart-casual) balance.

Mix slouchy jogging bottoms with a leather jacket and simple heeled sandals. For day, if you team tracksuit bottoms with runners, make sure you add a slightly dressier top to the mix. Athleisure pros – Victoria Beckham, Gigi Hadid and Gwen Stefani – blend sportswear-meets- streetwear with ease.

Whether it is Beckham slipping on a sporty kicks with tailored trousers, Gigi styling tracksuit bottoms with classic black pumps or Gwen pairing a sporty sweater with boyfriend jeans, these three rule the streets with their perfectly harmonised sporty smasual style. This is why styling that elegant blouse with your tracksuit trousers will actually work: it is paired with its wardrobe opposite but still achieves fashion synergy.

Give your skinny jeans a rest and join the track-pants team. Like a lot of sports, this isn’t about winning, it’s about taking part, so if Victoria Beckham can embrace runners, we can all give tracksuit bottoms a whirl.