Elevated tracksuits to help you feel like a self-isolation queen

A sartorial pick-me-up for all you self-isolating readers.

Luckily for the sluggish amongst us, sleepwear, leisurewear and tracksuits are slowly but surely finding their way into our everyday work wardrobes. And while what’s happening right now in the world is beyond scary, a superb method of self-care while social-distancing is a steady diet of fleece, flannel and anything four sizes too big. 

The working-from-home office is an inner sanctum where bralessness, pants-lessness, and all-day pyjamas are prerequisites, so with this in mind, I’m making the case for tracksuits as a full-time sartorial uniform (mainly because I’ve decided I’m never wearing anything else again). 

Charting the rise of the tracksuit, and athleisure more generally, led me down an interesting internet wormhole. Before long, I was reading about Paris Hilton’s contribution to Juicy Couture’s stock prices and, sadly, its inability to break free from the velour, boot-leg prison of its own design. 

Paris, Diddy, Britney, Kim, Tony Soprano, you name it, they’ve worn it. It’s even rumoured that Sasha Velour of Ru Paul’s Drag Race was so inspired by the velvet two-piece that she chose her name accordingly, describing it as a metaphor for drag.

The seismic profile of the velour Juicy Couture tracksuit is not lost on cultural collectors – the iconic American fit is immortalised ad infinitum inside the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, alongside some of the Queen’s best looks and some of our century’s most pivotal style moments. That’s how important it is.

Although the mass popularisation of luxe tracksuits began in the early 2000s with Paris and Kim, the humble tracksuit has always been a style equaliser, it’s ubiquity and varying price points making it accessible to all. Writing for Ssense in late 2019, Ayesha Siggiqui coined the term ‘track pant globalism’, explaining that “A track pant is the single article of clothing as likely to be worn in a refugee camp in Calais, or by a south London DJ, an Asian grandfather on a walk, or a supermodel.”

In a world where the same style of trackies can be sold for $1500 at Gucci but $20 at Target, this rings pretty true. Read on and find the loungewear that best suits your new lifestyle of working from home, drinking too many wines with your socially distant mates on Zoom and generally just going a bit stir crazy.  

If you want to feel like an early 2000s Los Angeleno

Image via MyTheresa 

This Juicy Couture x Urban Outfitters collab is a new take on the OG style. 

Even Gucci got in on it with this head-to-toe Velour moment. 

Undecided if these are PJs or clothes, and TBH I’m happy about it. 

Wine-coloured velour is a huge mood. 

Tracksuits to transport you to a simpler, sportier time

Image via JD Sports

From a brand with a very 2000s sounding name, Sporty & Rich, comes this cosy offering. 

Bright pink windbreaker pants, anyone?

Fiorucci is fearlessly matching orange and purple here, because why not? Noone but your housemates will see it, anyway.

Your dad probably has a pair of these classics stashed somewhere. 

Tie-dye is very much back and I for one am very happy about it.

When you want to indulge your inner-chav/pretend you’re a teenager from South London 

Image via Opening Ceremony 

Very into this unapologetically chav-esque hoodie. 

Vetements but make it Monsters Inc.

Or why not try out some knee-length velour boxing shorts?

And FYI ‘joggers’ is probably the more fashion way to refer to track pants – Opening Ceremony would know. 

If you want to be a self-quarantining socialite queen

Image via Pinterest 

A reflective, glow in the dark Gucci pair should do the trick.

This head-to-toe Gucci print is giving off huge early-2000s millionaire swanning around their mansion vibes.

How about a side serving of tulle with your tracksuit, à la Margiela?

Marc Jacobs does a very extra pop of paisley colour, so you won’t get bored when you’re aimlessly staring at your reflection in the mirror, wondering whether you should make your debut in the lounge or maybe visit the kitchen for a while. So many options.

Some super practical sequined wide-legs for when you have to stand up at some point in the Zoom meeting. 

This one’s perfect if you’re accustomed to corporate life – a plush velvet suit, so you can still feel like you’ve got your shit together, even if you’re really just traipsing around your house eating an assortment of sugary snacks.

As you’re no doubt already aware, coronavirus has well and truly taken hold in Australia, and an increasing number of us will be self-isolating or working from home. We’re living through a scary, uncertain time right now, and it’s easy to get swept up in the neverending cycle of negative news. Over the coming weeks, we hope to provide you with a little reprieve from all the heaviness, and lots of ideas for how to fill all that time you’ll be spending at home. Take care out there and don’t be a stranger. We’re all in this together. Love the FJ team xx