Sweatpants were first invented by French sportswear manufacturer
Le Coq Sportif in 1920 to provide athletes with comfort and ease of mobility. As sweatpants became more common, Le Coq Sportif designed the "Sunday suit" as a combination of sweatpants and a matching top, for use in home relaxation or daily exercise. They were manufactured from a mix of
cellulose triacetate and
polyester making them shiny on the outside, with distinctive combinations of colours. In the late 1990s, tracksuits made a comeback in mainstream fashion for both men and women. They returned to the fabrics of the 1970s, most notably polyester. The trend continued into the 2000s, when velour made a comeback, by the likes of
Juicy Couture and other brands. This continued for most of the decade. Tracksuits briefly went out of fashion in the late 2000s, resurfacing in the 2010s with "
athleisure" trends. Beginning in the early-2000s, tracksuits have been associated with
grime music in the UK and its related culture. This has led to the style of clothing being associated in the mainstream media with
the country's gang culture, however grime musicians such as
Stormzy have openly disassociated from them. Since 2006, prominent fashion designers have been asked to design tracksuits for the athletes of various
Olympic teams, usually all the athletes representing one country. For example, designer
Ralph Lauren created the USA uniforms for the 2010
Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony. The sportswear company
Adidas hired Stella McCartney to be the Creative Director for the 2012 GB Olympic Games (by Adidas)—the first time in the history of the games that a leading fashion designer has designed the apparel for a particular country’s team across all competitions for both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. ==Gallery==