The Celebrities That Have Popularized The Classic Tracksuit
The classic tracksuit may have had times when it's been slightly more popular, but over the last 50 years, it's never quite gone out of style. Many of us have sported the tracksuit over the years, and of that number, there are quite a few celebrities and famous figures who are fans of the comfortable item as well (via Grailed).
The Adidas tracksuit, with the famous three stripes and trefoil logo, has become a cultural symbol throughout the world, adopted by various subcultures through the last few decades (via The New Yorker), and it's long been something that you could see both one of the world's biggest celebrities and a regular person on the street wearing — perhaps even in the same day.
Whether they've gone for the Adidas version or another tracksuit brand, these are some of the famous faces that have helped to popularize the classic tracksuit at one time or another. Did they ever encourage you to buy one yourself?
Bruce Lee played a big role
When it comes to the classic tracksuit, where else to start than with a true legend in every sense of the word: Bruce Lee. Per Grailed, Lee could often be seen wearing a red tracksuit on the set of the TV show "Longstreet" as early as 1971, while we all recognize his classic yellow and black jumpsuit, as worn in 1972's "Game of Death" — it's a look that's often been recreated in the years since.
Moving forward a few years to the golden age of hip-hop, we can turn our attention to Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Run DMC. The iconic trio were famous for their love of the Adidas tracksuit (via The Wall Street Journal), which became a popular fixture of hip-hop culture; contemporaries including LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys also rocked the look on a regular basis. Not long after, quite a few British bands began to adopt the Adidas tracksuit as well (among other Adidas items), while in the 21st century, it's become a favorite piece of clothing for rappers and MCs in the U.K. (via Indie).
From football greats to music icons to royalty
Of course, tracksuits have their roots in sporty — or athleisure — fashion, so it makes sense that one of the famous faces to help popularize the tracksuit was one of the most legendary soccer players of all time. We're talking German defender Franz Beckenbauer (one of just three men to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager), who endorsed Adidas' first branded tracksuit way back in 1967 (via Ad Week), when he was one of the most exciting young sportspeople in Europe.
But what about the present day? Some of our biggest stars have been seen rocking the tracksuit, like Rihanna, Bella Hadid, and even some of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters (via Vogue). The Duchess of Cambridge sported an Adidas tracksuit during the 2012 Olympics in London — not even royalty can resist the pull of the three stripes.
Indeed, over the past five decades, the classic tracksuit has been popularized time and again, by Hollywood and the music industry, famous figures, and influencers. At a time when fashion trends can come and go, not to mention a focus today on ASOS-esque "fast fashion," the classic tracksuit has endured, never quite ever going out of style.