The End of Velour Tracksuits

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (or maybe not so bad news), but Juicy Couture has announced they are closing all U.S. stores.

When was the last time you saw someone unironically wearing a Juicy tracksuit? Probably around ten years ago. As a proclaimed celebrity junkie, I am well aware that these items were worn by some of the worlds most talked about people of the 2000s. J.Lo, Jessica Simpson, and Nicole Richie, just to name a few. The tracksuit was even worn by Amy Poehler in the movie Mean Girls (so fetch). But even with all the free celebrity endorsements, the company has apparently been struggling for years.

While these velour track suits were once the casual go-to option for people more accustomed to red carpets, another retailer has taken over. Celebrities like the Kardashians and Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara have been seen out and about in Lululemon. This retailer not only has multiple styles, colors, and patterns to choose from, but they also have a tasteful logo, which is used minimally on their clothing.

Juicy designs haven’t changed for years, it’s just been velour tracksuit after velour tracksuit. The problem is that Juicy failed to grow their brand and lost sight of their audience. People finally got sick of walking around with bejeweled words on their backsides. To the diehard Juicy fans, not all is lost. Juicy is hoping to be able to sell its clothing at a lower price point, and they’ve inked a deal with discount retailer Kohl’s.