Calling the tracksuit “a basic” is one way to undercut it. Another? Relegating it to ordinary. Sure, at first glance, the sportswear staple may very well be just about as foundational as it gets. But let’s make one thing clear: sweats and woven sets are just as much heavy-hitters as your highly cherished denim—without the weigh-down.
Doubtful? Just sit back and observe the ripple of its oh-so-lush surface in movement, and it’s enough to tempt even the most stalwart disciple of the downtown uniform to hang up their leather and co-sign on a set. It’s no shocker, really. What else can go as seamlessly from day to night, gym to rave, and look just as fresh when worn work-from-home as home-from-work? The tracksuit could very well be the dark horse of the modern wardrobe. Extraordinary might be a more convincing label.
This is nothing new. The athleisure — scratch that, pop culture — icon is a certified veteran when it comes to staying power, and has a proven history to track. From its birth in the 30s, it swiftly began to assert itself as the off-duty go-to of the future, turning the heads of those with a yearning for apparel woven with the performance-ready resilience of an Olympic athlete. It wasn’t until the 70s, however, that it reached streetwear stardom. Be it on the Herculeses of the silver screen, such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, or on reggae revolutionaries like Bob Marley, tracksuits steadily eclipsed the starched daily garb of yore. “Trackies,” as Brits dubbed them, lined football stadiums in the 80s throughout the UK. And when, in the 90s, they pulled a 360 on the earth’s axis, trackies dominated streets worldwide, never mind if on those of Harajuku in Japan, among looks that flirted with neo-futurist quirks, or on those of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where gabbers raged from dusk to dawn. Safe to say, they became quite the hot topic.
Speaking of hot, amid the platinum ambition of the early aughts, the sports-ready set cemented itself so deep in celebrity culture, it might as well have had its own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Everyone who was anyone had a set. Hip-hop A-listers like Missy Elliot and Jay-Z donned slouchy sets. Nu-metal titans like Korn and Limp Bizkit rocked them. And with peroxide-crowned royalty such as Paris Hilton dubbing it a pop-cultural treasure with the wag of a French-tipped finger and the utterance of the then-golden decree, “That’s hot,” the tracksuit became immortal. That’s the stuff legends are made of. But the enigma behind the near-stratospheric ascent of a rather quotidian article of clothing is less mystery than it is an act of balance: on one scale, comfort; on the other, style. And it’s one New Balance has (quite literally) built its name on. Now that the Boston-born sportswear visionary has updated the tracksuit once more, it’s high time that it rises again.
The vehicle of ascent, this time, is “Trackside,” New Balance’s SS26 collection. Inspired by the brand’s heritage of leveling low-fuss design with high comfort, “Trackside” ushers in the enduring staple’s next era. With an exaggerated silhouette so relaxed that just donning it feels like an act of R&R, the tracksuit au courant is all about hanging loose. With contemporary classic pieces constructed in water-resistant polyester wovens and soft brushed-back fleece, featuring details like ribbed collars, cuffs, and hems, plus kangaroo pockets, the collection is, in a nutshell, a wearable respite from the shake-up of modern life. A nod to New Balance’s famous heritage in purpose-built head-to-toe Running gear, but made for today’s more leisurely lifestyle pursuits, the collection features updated logo pops, piping, and Flying NB graphics throughout. Stylish essentials built to turn heads — minus the strain.
Evolution is only as effective as the boundaries it pushes. New Balance knows this. That’s why they’ve taken to transposing the liberating feel of the tracksuit to an inclusive line of sportswear. Notice the shorts. Though they may not be part of the curriculum of your trainer’s textbook set, they’re designed with the ease and versatility of their source material. The same goes for its sweatshirts and tees. As the pundits and sportswear snobs would have it, they simply wouldn’t make the cut. But the tracksuit, like most wardrobe-bound legends, isn’t just about the physical dimensions it occupies; the appeal lies therein in the feel of wearing it.
At the heart of New Balance’s latest offerings is sports-ready style crafted to carry you through your day with the ease of the swoosh of its tracksuits — oh, and a satin-stitched, embroidered New Balance logo! Now, that’s a new take on balance.
Discover the collection here.
