A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly as what athletes wore over competition clothing (such as running shirt and shorts or a swimsuit) and would take off before competition. In modern times, it has become commonly worn in other contexts. The tracksuit was one of the earliest uses of synthetic fibers in sportswear.[1]
A descendent of the tracksuit, the shell suit, which arrived in the late 1980s, was popular with the hip hop and breakdancing scene of the era [2] They were manufactured from a mix of triacetate and polyester making them shiny on the outside, with distinctive combinations of colours.
Most tracksuits have a mesh interior which allows the user to wear them without any undergarment such as underwear. This is much like a bathing suit. Many people wear it for workout sessions.
Tracksuit tops have now disappeared nearly completely as sportswear. Tracksuit trousers remain popular, although in contrast to the bright colours characteristic of shell suits in the 1980s (which are often cited as a faux pas of 1980s fashion),[3] they are commonly worn in muted colours such as grey, black or navy blue.