Why Everyone Is Obsessed With This Incredibly Basic Tracksuit Justin Bieber, Tommy Fury, and Zara McDermott are all fans. Why is this Fear of God ESSENTIALS outfit everywhere?
What would you class as an Essentials Clothing brand supermarket, maybe? Perhaps a pharmacy? How about a full trackie that’ll set you back nearly 150 quid?
Over the past few weeks, there’s a strong chance your Instagram has been inundated with people wearing cream, charcoal, or putty brown joggers and oversized hoodies, with the word “ESSENTIALS” stamped on the front in bold, block lettering.
Collaboration with Zara and Tommy Fury
Made in Chelsea’s viral whinger, Zara McDermott has got hers, and so has Love Island’s loveable meathead, Tommy Fury. And if you’re a follower of London streetwear account @stepcorrectuk – which has 240,000 followers – you’ll be familiar with the sudden craze surrounding this monotonous loungewear.
This stripped-back attire is a product of Fear of God ESSENTIALS. Launched back in 2018, it’s a diffusion label that simplifies Fear of God mainline staples at more affordable price points. Founded by Jerry Lorenzo in 2013, Fear of God has quickly become a cult streetwear brand known for its minimal branding, neutral hues, and collaborations with Vans and Nike. ESSENTIALS shares the pillars of the FOG main label’s design vocabulary – think sweats, fleeces, and puffas in muted colors and easy-going shapes – just now made accessible to the broader public at a fifth of the price of FOG.
Think it all looks a bit boring? Well, not according to the 1.9 million posts tagging #fearofgod on Instagram, the majority of which are excite beats trying to look ‘ard in their ESSENTIALS get-up.
Justin is a Fan of Fear of God Essentials
The very plain tracksuit has been splitting opinions online since it’s a very simple tracksuit that will also leave your wallet considerably lighter. On SSENSE, a pair of thermal lounge pants from the brand will cost you £50, while a quarter zip stands at £90. But on resale sites like Grailed, the prices are skyrocketing, with a black pull-over that Justin Bieber also happens to own currently going for $300 – despite the fact it looks like you’d find it buried in the back corner of an H&M.
“Jerry Lorenzo mate, you can’t just take the tracksuit of the trenches & sell it back to the trenches for quadruple the price, brother,” wrote rapper and producer Faze Miyake on Twitter. At the same time, TikTok user @PokuBanks warned against getting into debt by buying into the brand just because influencers on the gram are flaunting theirs.
Collaboration With Louis Vuitton
So what’s all the fuss? Well, in the land of hype beasts, Jerry Lorenzo is David Bowie and Luka Sabbat (who also models ESSENTIALS collections) – a “drip gawd” (that’s someone who’s given godly status for being able to afford to dress in head-to-toe designer gear). Fear of God is at the forefront of a particular strand of streetwear that places itself at a luxury price point – first brought into the fashion consciousness when Louis Vuitton collaborated with Supreme in 2017, when the retail price of a t-shirt was approximately £342.
In a similar vein, last year, Fear of God teamed up with high-end Milanese label Ermenegildo Zegna – where hoodies cost a steep £620 – and Lorenzo prides himself on his brand’s use of luxury fabrics, such as organic cotton and 100% nylon sourced from Japan and Italy.
Christopher Morency, the editorial director of Highsnobiety, says Fear of God is a pioneer of “silent streetwear” alongside the likes of Kanye West’s Yeezy and sustainable label Pangaea.
The Emerging Fashion Brand, Fear of God Essentials
“The brand doesn’t have to hide behind empty hype, loud graphics, or difficult silhouettes,” he says. “When stripped back to its bare essentials, quality and construction stand independently.” As the meaning of streetwear becomes more ambiguous, Morency believes “silent streetwear” will disperse “across every price-point and product category,” with the lines of what’s considered “streetwear” and “luxury” now increasingly blurred.
That’s where the appeal for ESSENTIALS comes in. While a pair of Fear of God lounge pants will cost you £555, ESSENTIALS track pants are considerably cheaper, £100. Not too far off the price you’d pay for a pair from Nike, as one Twitter user points out. You’re paying to be part of the Fear of God club without the Fear of God price tag, capturing the quality, well-produced garb without having to break the bank and borrow a bit of extra wonga from your partner to complete your purchase.
What makes Fear of God Essentials a Luxury Brand
Yet you can look at the ESSENTIALS hype in simpler terms. What’s the easiest way of showing the world your decent clobber. While being comfortable enough to sit around your gaff all day? Chuck on an ESSENTIALS trackie, and you’re practically a walking billboard for a label that defines modern luxury.
“These soft, comfortable, familiar, and easy pieces that are contemporary are beautiful to lots of people. ” Says Jay McCauley Bowstead, a cultural and historical studies lecturer at London College of Fashion and author of Menswear Revolution. “Especially in this bizarre context where self-care and comfort have become increasingly important.
Fear of God Reinventing American Fashion
“Fear of God has taken familiar elements from American workwear and sportswear. Denim, engineer’s jackets, varsity sweatshirts, overalls, and jogging bottoms. combining them with unstructured, oversized 80s Armani-style tailoring,” he continues. “These references have been elevated using a sandy, soft, muted palette (that feels expensive) and a paired back. Subtly fashion-forward approach to design. There’s nothing earth-shatteringly inventive about this combination, but it feels relevant and desirable.”
2021 kicks off to be a shitshow of year. So the last thing people are looking for is overly complicated garms. People want calm and comfy, and these trackies are also cool to the broader public. Suppose Fear of God ESSENTIALS is the uniform for braving this strange new world. We’re in, then move over to Pretty Little Thing. You have tracksuits the color of porridge to compete with now.
For more articles, click here.
Add Comment