Anatomy Of A Trend

Time was, a fashion-conscious body would dare don a sweat suit only while curled up in first class. No longer. Sweats are in for the fashion cognoscenti, from smart, casual moms to partying celebrities. And for boldface types, they're not just to own. There's hardly a hip-hop star without an eponymous line of hoodies and pants. So who's responsible for breathing new life into the long-reviled ensemble? The answer depends on how far back you want to go.

Like its cousin the sneaker, the tracksuit came into the fashion mainstream via the street, through hip-hop and rave culture. The sweat suit became a B-boy uniform partly because disco gear did not lend itself to the gymnastics of break dancing. Another influence: music legends like Bob Marley, who adopted sweats as a uniform (and may have been drawing on the much iconized image of tracksuit-clad John Carlos and Tommie Smith giving black-power salutes at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics). Read more...

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