Are tracksuits cool now or is Armie Hammer trolling us?
For as long as I've lived I have been under the very strict impression that tracksuits are simply not that cool.
It's unclear exactly how I fell into this judgmental mindset, but after Vulture recently called attention to stone cold heartthrob Armie Hammer's tracksuit obsession I have not stopped thinking about it.
Armie, are tracksuits fashionable now? Are they an ~in~ trend? Have I been wrong all along? Please tell me: is it better to wear a tracksuit or die?
Unable to move on with my life until I better understood the 31-year-old father of two, and star of Call Me By Your Name's love of these casual matching jackets and pants, I launched an investigation.
Here are the results.
Armie Hammer: A man of many tracksuits
Merriam-Webster defines "tracksuit" as a suit of clothing, "often worn by athletes when working out." Yet Armie appears to have several tracksuits he wears whenever the heck he pleases, simply for FASHION purposes. Bold.
Just from he and his wife's Instagram accounts we know he's got a classic black Adidas one he adores, a stunning red one, a daring baby blue number, and whatever this green spotted one is.
He lovingly refers to the suits as "trackies" and has dubbed himself both a "trendsetter" and proud member of "tracksuit nation."
Armie's wife, Elizabeth Chambers, appears to support her husband's statement-making fashion choices entirely, captioning one of their posts together, "Passionately discussing the future of le tracksuit."
And his Call Me By Your Name co-star Timothée Chalamet also appears to be down with the trend. The 22-year-old Oscar nominee was seen excitedly commenting on one of Armie's tracksuit Instagrams from Thursday.
The case for tracksuits
This helpful and convenient film by Mr. Porter gives us a brief history of the tracksuit, explaining the name was given in the 1960s after track runners began wearing the suits. In the 70s ~normal~ people started reportedly started wearing tracksuits, and I think that's when things went wrong.
Unless you're a legit athlete or so damn cool that anything you touch becomes iconic, I guess I've always associated tracksuits with laziness. But when I see Armie Hammer in a tracksuit my first reaction is "ugh a tracksuit" followed by "Ooooh Armie Hammer. Wait, maybe it's fine?"
Bruce Lee wearing a tracksuit in Longstreet? I guess that was cool. Run-DMC in tracksuits? Without a doubt cool as hell. Snoop, Eminem? Cool. Ben Stiller in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums? Mmmmm, not cool.
Mark Wahlberg wearing that freaking purple tracksuit in the final scene of The Departed? Cool because who expected that ending, but honestly would have been cooler if he had worn anything else. Will Ferrell wearing tracksuits for the entirety of Kicking and Screaming? Least cool thing ever.
Mindy and Morgan wearing matching sequins tracksuits to karaoke on The Mindy Project? HILARIOUS AND I LOVE IT.
So after this short review of tracksuits in pop culture, we can agree that the question, "Are tracksuits acceptable?" can only be answered on a case-by-case basis.
Is Armie just trolling us?
The first Armie tracksuit sighting came shortly after the 2018 Oscar nominations were announced, Vulture noted. So perhaps the chill fashion was the star's way of coping after not receiving Best Supporting Actor nom??
After playing up his most recent tracksuit Instagram with the hashtag #slavsquat — a reference to a meme about European tracksuit culture — we have to ask ourselves: Does Armie really like tracksuits, or does he like the attention he gets from joking about tracksuits?
However, in stalking Armie's Instagram I also came across these cozy pajama pants he seems to wear and share a photo of nearly every time he travels. He's clearly a dude who appreciates comfort, so it's very possibly he's sporting these tracksuits cause he just wants to feel good in his clothes.
I guess only time will tell if Armie's tracksuit love is true, but for now I think my adoration for Call Me By Your Name will allow me to accept this fashion statement with an open mind.
Topics Instagram Celebrities
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
