Tracksuit + Heels = ?!

Cheese on toast, gin and tonic, Lady Gaga and sequins – some things are simply meant to be together; joined in a blissful union and destined to make the world a better place, while others – such as Katie and Peter – are more or less doomed from the outset.  Then there are the more confusing pairings; those which really, really shouldn’t work but somehow manage to pull it off.  In this instance, I’m referring to the tracksuit-bottoms-and-heels combination which seems to be popping up with increasing regularity.

At first I was entirely against the concept – I mean really, what a ridiculous idea?!  I’m all for heels, at any time and under any circumstances, but tracksuit bottoms?  Now there is an article of clothing that I have always firmly believed should be kept within the confines of one’s own house, and should certainly not be allowed to venture any further than the gym.  But when a trend has Garance Doré and Vogue on its side, it becomes rather difficult to ignore and I now find myself wondering whether it might actually be within the realms of acceptability…

After all, while tracksuit trousers are so quintessentially laid-back and comfortable that they are often frowned upon, heels have, for several decades, been one of the primary tools available to (wo)mankind in dressing up even the most casual of outfits.  Why not combine the two and drag your sweatpants kicking as screaming into the world of suitable day-wear?

There is, of course, a catch – well you didn’t really expect to throw your trampy jogging bottoms together with a pair of sparkly heels and be hailed a fashion genius did you?!  It is all about the cut and shape of your trousers: Think low-waisted, slouchy and preferably with a tapered leg – a slightly warmer and more substantial version of the drop-crotch harem trousers from this summer – and you’re on to a winner!

Having said all of this, I’m not entirely sure that I’ll be wearing my tracksuit bottoms for anything other than their intended purpose.  I’ll keep you posted but am fairly sure that I enjoy getting dressed up a bit too much to allow any gym-clothes-out-to-dinner moments myself.

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