Its been a long time since I’ve worn a pair of tracksuit bottoms at any time other than when I’ve been working out. When I heard that they were “in-trend” this season my thoughts wandered back to when shell suits were all the rage, surely this can’t be fashionable?
According to the fashionistas and all the forward thinking fashion followers, tracksuit bottoms worn with heels are going to be everywhere this year.
In an article about tracksuit bottoms, The Times has stated that the trend is likely to catch on as any trend that is “lazy” is always a hit. They’re thinking Uggs, leggings, skinny jeans – all easy to follow and ideal for the lazy fashion follower. Not to mention the high street can easily copy this look as opposed to fancy tailored looks.
The likes of Vicky Pollard from Little Britain have been wearing them for years, but bewared, that is not how they are to be worn!! Trainers are a definite no-no and your old Adidas pants just won’t do!
So, if you get the right pair of pants and wear them with the right heels and a nice top what’s to loose?
Sure, there’s nothing hard about wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms but will it really catch on in France? I’ve noticed that the French are generally a couple of seasons behind in fashion trends. For example, in 2006 I came to France in leggings and mini skirt, topped off with patent escarpins – perfectly normal for the UK, I didn’t consider it a far flung looks – the shoes were a bit awkward to walk miles in but you know, it was just what everyone was wearing. In France, the Parisians just looked at me as if I’d arrived from another planet not to mention my sister in law who’s just a bit younger than me. Fast forward to 2008 and the shops are full of similar clothes! See, I could have been a fashion consultant for them!!!
I’m going to start hunting for the perfect pair of pants now as lazy seems good to me and suits where I am in my life – rapidly approaching 30 and beginning to feel frumpy, yet can’t be too bothered to do anything about it. I’ll probably have to go back to the UK or order them online as I doubt I’ll be able to find any in France as yet, but I wonder what my friendly Frenchies will think of this? No doubt they will all think I’m mad and wonder what on earth I’m wearing, or maybe they’ll remember some of the other trends they saw me in first? Either way, they all think I’m an eccentric English girl so what’s to loose? Its something fashionable I can wear without breaking the bank and can be flattering for my extra kilos. And should I need to run somewhere I can just ditch the heels and go!
How to wear tracksuite bottoms fashionably!
My man sells clothes… May be you can help us !!!
Will he be selling tracksuit bottoms?
Great article, I had also read the Times article with some interest. While the initial reaction is to think uuugh when tracksuit bottoms are mentioed, with brands like Juicy and Pineapple around you can be assured that the cut of the bottoms will make them hugely flattering for the wearer
Jack
- Womens Tracksuits
Definitely agree there although some can be very unflattering but overall definitely more flattering for women than skinny jeans!
Well, there has been the whole wearing denim shorts with black tights and boots thing going on for this past fall and winter. I saw a few, very few but a few, Crocs on people’s feet last summer…. I dunno. Never say never when it comes to the tracksuit bottoms!! But if it does happen, you are right in that it will be a couple of seasons later! Ironic, huh, considering Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world.
Oh, and a small note on the skinny jeans: I think it is pathetic, how the cute little fashionistas in Paris can make this almost 42-year-old chica want to slip (make that “cram”) on a pair. Argh!! They are so NOT flattering except on the skinniest pair of long-ish legs, and yet I still want some, hahahaha. Sad, is what that is.
Hope you are well!
Hey! Long time no see, was beginning to think you’d decided to stay in Antibes and enjoy life on the Cote! Hope the weather was good for you anyway, its been pretty dim here so imagine Paris would be the same!
If they were bright yellow crocs it may well have been me!! Been wearing them since last summer instead of orthopedic insoles on my shoes! Everyone here in Lyon thinks I’m nuts but they are comfy and better for you feet than flip flops… I’ve also managed to buy a few more discreetly coloured pairs as well as a pair of croc boots for apres-ski! You can pick up authentic crocs quite cheap when they’re on achat-vip.com – no-one else buys them!
Skinny jeans… mmmm, how I would love to wear them with a tunic type top, scarf and look all arty! My size 42 bottom however makes them look like an upside down triangle and I’d probably be arrested! I wish boot cut would come back in!
I just knew fashion would catch up with me eventually! I live in “trackydacks” – I probably look more like the little Britain image though
but they are more practical for mucking out horse stables!
im reading this in disbelief… marseille, lyon, grenoble, strasbourg, etc the list goes on and on… are stuffed to the gills with people in lacoste tracksuits (often tucked in white socks) and with baseball caps, boys, girls, men, women, etc etc go in for this look. just type in ‘mode lacoste’ on skyrock for evidence of this. the tracksuit look is bigger in france than anywhere by my reckoning.
LOL
You’re definitely right about trackies in France, they’re dreadful tucking them into their socks aren’t they? I wouldn’t say they are really defined as fashionable in terms of general fashion as you can only buy them in the sports shops or HH, Hilfiger, Lacoste etc as opposed to “fashion” stores.
Its more streetwear and streetwear is a completely different fashion to mainstream, afterall, not everyone started dressing like puff daddy did they? Furthermore, they are sported (appropriate word hein?) more often by the youths of “les quartiers populaires” as opposed to the fashionistas.
Walk around the 6th and 2nd districts of Lyon and the only people you will see wearing Lacoste or Hally Hansen tracksuit bottoms are likely to be stood outside MacDo or a Lycée.
You won’t be granted access to a bar “branché” (or even a club which isn’t so in for that matter) wearing the same tracksuit bottoms as these youth wear; in the newer breed of tracksuit bottoms (see the article on The Times) then you may well be as they will be worn well and dressed up as opposed to teenagers with white socks!
Thanks for stopping by Becky. Hope to see you again here soon
[...] Although, I do wonder whether Piglet had a couple of pairs of tarcksuit bottoms in her wardrobe when she wrote Bad, mad fashion! Tracksuit bottoms it is! [...]