Fashion from Episode 11: Track Jacket Comeback
by Karla Stevens
Hello fashionistas and fans! Ever noticed Seth Cohen's obsession with track jackets? Especially those nice fitted bad boys ala 1972? In tonight's episode we see him sporting a vintage maroon jacket with white and navy piping made by The Sport Scene. Really, I think the track jacket is a signature piece for Seth and it has become his old standby. Not that those old standbys look anything but fresh and hip in the OC.
Turns out that tracksuits were invented in the sixties and became a phenomenon in the seventies. Think Bruce Jenner on the Wheaties box and it all comes rushing back. Adidas, Puma, Fila and The Sport Scene all created their own version of the tracksuit and the jacket became a staple both on and off the track well into the eighties.
For a while, the track jacket suffered a bit of an identity crisis and it seemed that only middle-aged men and professional athletes were wearing them behind closed doors. But as we know, it's only a matter of time for a staple like that to make a stellar comeback. Devotees of the fabulous track jacket include the Wilson brothers, Ashton Kutcher, Carson Daley , Sean William Scott. And the ladies are wearing them as well. Madonna and Paris Hilton have both been spotted around town looking fabulous and chic, usually sporting them with a cool golf cap and Chanel shades.
I put in a quick phone call to my secret vintage selling source at Wasteland on Melrose, and they told me that they couldn't keep the track jackets in stock, especially the vintage Puma. There's also a really hot new Wasteland in Santa Monica, and the gum-chomping pierced gal there said that not a day goes by without someone snapping up a track jacket.
In fact, when I checked out brand new track jackets, I realized that they were reproducing a lot of the old designs from the seventies and eighties, so clearly they are aware that the whole track jacket thing has come full circle and not everyone is willing to buy vintage. Again, if you're not willing to shell out the dough for a new model, check out the cool vintage stores for the mint condition variety, but don't snub the Salvation Army, garage sales and your Dad's closet. I guarantee you'll find a once coveted track jacket lurking in a crowded rack or in the back of a closet.
And here's my wardrobe advice: The track jacket looks great on any guy with a pair of vintage jeans - you pick the brand. And for the ladies, throw one on with some sparkly jewelry and pair of wedgies, and you're ready to hit happy hour.
And here's my wardrobe advice: The track jacket looks great on any guy with a pair of vintage jeans - you pick the brand. And for the ladies, throw one on with some sparkly jewelry and pair of wedgies, and you're ready to hit happy hour.
