Whether you've been holding out for this day or if you've simply kept a velour set in the back of your closet for nostalgia's sake, get ready for sartorial vindication. In honor of the Juicy Couture tracksuit's 21st birthday (legal, baby!), the brand is betting all its chips on its cult item's big comeback.
In 2016 alone, the tracksuit has gotten a Bloomingdales capsule and the Vetements treatment; the latter is a sure-fire way to be relevant (again) in the fashion industry these days. Now, Juicy Couture recruited a who's-who crowd to fête its big anniversary campaign. Whereas Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were adept spokespeople in the aughts, the tracksuit now counts Ruby Aldridge, Cipriana Quann, Atlanta de Cadenet, as well as other cool women from around the globe — 21 in total, fittingly — as brand ambassadors.
The campaign is called #TRACKISBACK (an all-caps hashtag befitting the times). Technically, though, the tracksuit has never really left: It's been living out its trend afterlife on the racks at Kohl's. But the company has had some rocky times since the OG matching set's heyday, including having its co-founders decamp and having to shut down its retail presence as the tracksuit moved from must-have item to kitschy novelty territory. It's always been endearing to some extent, though; endearing enough to, say, warrant a museum exhibit.
Juicy Couture is now banking on the tracksuit's high-fashion turn; part of its appeal lies in the inherent versatility (and, lazy-girl mentality) of a head-to-toe look. For the campaign, the brand had its 21 ambassadors describe their personal style in one word (well, more like three), all while wearing the velour suits. The results were pretty varied. Among their answers were, "edgy," "'70s chic," "multiple personalities," "masculine," and "comfy." The takeaway is clear: There isn't a singular type of person who wears a tracksuit — so embrace the look however you choose.
Check out the full clip below. Given this wave of incredibly stylish recruits, can we expect to see a lot more velour in Fashion Week street style come September? We certainly wouldn't hate it.
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