Sweatpants: Difference between revisions

'''Sweatpants''' are a [[casual attire|casual]] variety of soft [[trousers]] intended for [[comfort]] or [[sportswear (activewear)|athletic]] purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as '''tracksuit bottoms''' or '''trackies'''. In Australia and New Zealand, they are also commonly known as '''trackpants''', '''trackies''', '''tracky daks''' or '''joggers'''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pryor |first=Lisa |date=25 October 2002 |title=In her tracky daks, a Hollywood star turns invisible |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/in-her-tracky-daks-a-hollywood-star-turns-invisible-20021025-gdfr8o.html |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |quote=Naomi Watts: 'I look like a completely different person when I just wake up and get my tracky daks on'}}</ref> They are also referred to as '''jogging pants''' in Canada.

The first pair of sweatpants was introduced in the 1920s by [[Émile Camuset]], the founder of [[Le Coq Sportif]]. These were simple knitted gray [[Jersey (fabric)|jersey]] pants that allowed athletes to stretch and run comfortably.<ref>{{cite web |first=Brian |last=VanHooker |url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-cultural-history-of-sweatpants |title= The Cultural History of Sweatpants | work=[[MEL Magazine]] |date=November 24, 2017}}</ref> Sweatpants became commonplace at the [[Olympic Games]] by the late [[1930]]s1930s, and were seen on many athletes in the decades that followed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017-11-24|title=The Cultural History of Sweatpants|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-cultural-history-of-sweatpants|access-date=2021-09-27|website=MEL Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Adidas]] introduced the [[tracksuit]] that combined the sweatpants with a track top in 1964, which helped popularize athletic fashion.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guzzetta|first=Marli|title=Athleisure Used to Be Just an Outfit. Here's How It Became a Lifestyle|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201906/marli-guzzetta/athleisure-athletic-wear-clothing-apparel-brands-tracksuit-yoga-pants.html|date=2019}}</ref> The rise of workout[[fitness culture]], as well as the birth of [[Hiphip hop|hip-hop]] in 1980s America, led to the popularization of sweatpants as both leisurewear and [[streetwear]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|date=2017-11-24|title=The Cultural History of Sweatpants|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-cultural-history-of-sweatpants|access-date=2021-09-27|website=MEL Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>

College students also contributed to sweatpants' rise in popularity in the United States. Since the 1910s, "sportswear" has been a staple in college campus style and in the 1970s and 80s designers began reimagining the "[[Jersey (fabric)|jersey]] knit fabric that had been used for gym garb" into clothes for students' everyday wear.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clemente, |first1=Deirdre. ''|title=Dress Casual : How College Students Redefined American Style'', University|date=2014 of North Carolina|publisher=UNC Press, 2014.Books ''ProQuest|isbn=978-1-4696-1408-3 Ebook}}{{pn|date=December Central'', <nowiki>https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bu/detail.action?docID=1663559</nowiki>.2022}}</ref> Despite their rise in popular culture, sweatpants were often criticized in mainstream media in the 1990s and early 2000s; in the American sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]'', the title character, Jerry, tells his friend "you're telling the world you've given up" when he appears in sweatpants.

Fashion shifted during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and the resulting increase in [[remote work]]. Sales of sweatpants have increased since 2019,<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/25/no-sweat-how-tracksuit-bottoms-became-the-height-of-lockdown-fashion | title=No sweat: how tracksuit bottoms became the height of lockdown fashion; Sales of sweatpants soar as fashionistas embrace the joys of an elasticated waistline in their working-from-home outfits | first=Priya | last=Elan | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 April 2020}}</ref> and many high-end and [[haute couture]] fashion brands have moved toward creating simpler, [[athleisure]]athletic-casual inspired looks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunt, |first1=Kenya. "|title=Sweatpants are no longer 'a sign of defeat.' – everyEvery day you get dressed is a win." ''Washington Post'', 10 Feb. 2021. ''|id={{Gale|A651370688}} Academic OneFile'', link|url=https://www.galewashingtonpost.com/appsopinions/doc2021/A65137068802/AONE?u=mlin_b_bumml&sid=bookmark10/sweatpants-AONE&xidare-no-longer-defeat-every-day-you-get-dressed-is-win/ |newspaper=d616728e.The AccessedWashington 30Post Sept.|date=10 February 2021. }}</ref>

At one time, these pants were only worn for sporting events and at home. Now, they are available in many fashionable styles and are worn in a variety of public situations. Because of their comfort and fashion, they have become a popular choice of clothing. Sweatpants may come from many different materials and in many forms including thick and thin. Sweatpants are sometimes associated with certain lifestyles such as [[gym culture]] or [[hip-hop culture]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/germany-stuttgart-cafe-bans-sweatpants/a-41504760|title = Germany: Stuttgart cafe bans sweatpants &#124; DW &#124; 23.11.2017|website = [[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref> This niche-specific perception of sweatpants since the 1980s has at times resulted in extensive dress code regulations with some outlets outright banning the wearing of sweatpants on their premises, including some German cafés and a substantial number of nightclubs worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McLennan-Dillabough, |first1=Sarah. "|title=Mediating Access: The Utilization of Status Evaluation Processes in the Work of Bouncing." |journal=The Arbutus Review 4.|date=1 (November 2013): |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=45–62 |doi=10.18357/tar41201312682 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

There are many variations on sweatpants design that have evolved to define their own categories of athletic pants. These variations include ''fashion pants'', ''windpants'', ''tearaway pants'', and ''muscle pants''.{{fact|date=December 2022}}

''Fashion pants'' typically refers to fashion conscious [[sportswear (activewear)|sportswear]]. These pants are often made from a variety of materials, like [[velvet]] or [[satin]], and in many color combinations or patterns. One distinguishing characteristic is that fashion pants generally lack the elastic band at the ankles. They are considered a form of [[athleisure]] wear.<ref>{{Citecite book|url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-46843-9 |doi = 10.1007/978-3-030-46843-9 |title = Sportswomen's Apparel Around the World |series = New Femininities in Digital, Physical and Sporting Cultures |year =2021 2021|isbn = 978-3-030-46842-2 |s2cid = 241925321 }}</ref>

''Windpants'' are similar to sweatpants but are lighter and shield the wearer from cold wind rather than insulate. Windpants are typically made of polyester or nylon, with a liner made of cotton or polyester. The nylon material's natural friction against both itself and human legs makes "swooshing" sounds during walking. Windpants often have zippers on each ankle, letting athletes unzip the end of each leg, allowing the pants to be pulled over their footwear.{{fact|date=December 2022}}

''Tearaway pants'', also known as ''breakaway pants'', ''rip-off pants'', or ''popper pants'' are closely related to windpants. Tearaway pants are windpants with [[snap fastener]]s running the length of both legs. The snaps allow athletes to remove their tearaway pants in a timely manner to compete in some sports. Basketball and track and field are the two sports most commonly associated with tearaway pants.{{fact|date=December 2022}}