User:DevinMilesTorres/Sweatpants

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Sweatpants became commonplace at the Olympics by the late 1930s and it was typical to see them on any athlete in the decades that followed. The rise of workout culture, as well as the birth of hip-hop in 1980s America led to popularization of sweatpants as both leisurewear and streetwear. 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 knit fabric that had been used for gym garb" into clothes for students' everyday wear. 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 "your telling the world you've given up" when he appears in sweatpants. The discussion surrounding sweatpants and their role in the world of fashion continues today though now it is framed in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. In the months since a quarantine was implemented by many countries, there have been many articles written about how fashion has shifted. Sweatpant sales have increased since 2019 and many high-end and couture fashion brands have moved toward creating simpler, athleisure-inspired looks.

A writer from The Economist noted a change in acceptable attire in the workplace in recent years but thinks "a freshly laundered, crisp shirt announces to the world that you have made an effort; a tracksuit does not". They say that the desire to dress casually is brought on by the pandemic and that as things reopen, people will take pleasure in dressing up.