Again, it's been made clear by Syna World and the Syna World Tracksuit that Britain knows how to turn just about anything into culture. We've done it with tea; we've done it with queueing; we've done it with sarcasm; and now, it appears, we've done it with tracksuits. Thank God the tracksuit that was once laughed at as "something you'd wear down to the off-licence" is now worn from Shoreditch launch parties to outside Greggs in Newcastle. And honestly? That is as British as it can get.
Let's be honest about this: for Britain, it's been a love-hate relationship ever since. Once upon a time, politicians branded them as uniforms of "broken Britain." Your granny will still tell you that a good pair of trousers has pressed creases rather than drawstrings. And the irony is that the very same thing that tabloids demonised has become hip.
Up until a decade ago, having brunch was firmly a continental affair, and the UK was severely lacking in cafes with a good cream of coffee. It would take a really great Sunday afternoon to kill the inhibiting hangover from nightlife until the early hours of the less chill Atlantic city nightlife. And so brunch was born-a leisurely Sunday lunch to keep one awake after the night of partying. And with brunch came coffee-the ever-beloved flat whites. Thus, the Syna World Tracksuits are just the latest tutorial in this enduring gaffe.
One can almost imagine it as a sketch:
The punchline was going to be—what has changed? Only the perception. And the comedy lies in that. A wardrobe always doubles up as a sitcom in Britain.
Here goes: Syna World didn't merely tuck up a tracksuit; they brought a rebranding of comfort. Kind of like what Greggs did with the vegan sausage roll. Everyone laughed in the beginning—with such statements as, "that is not a true sausage roll"—and silently, everyone began to eat them. Suddenly, Greggs was being advertised on billboards and politicians were tweeting about pastry, something that flourished immensely.
If we were to swap pastry with polyester, the Syna World Tracksuit would be our result. First it was mocked, then universally loved when people set their eyes on it.
Now the marvellous idea behind the Syna World Tracksuit is the affinities it shares with everyday Britishness. Picture these:
It goes with every scenario, and hence the humour: It is as versatile as a cup of Yorkshire Tea. Fit for every mood, every occasion, and every postcode.
Here is the question that taunts the satirist. When high fashion retailed a tracksuit for some £2,000, it was considered "bold" and "avant-garde." And when council estate kids walked around in one in the early 2000s, they were demonized. The Syna World Tracksuit luckily has nothing to do with such nonsense: it's genuine, it stands for style, and it does not apologise for its roots.
That is a bit like Britain pretending to loathe reality TV, whilst making "Love Island" the nation's summer obsession. We're all in on the joke—whether we admit it or not.
In the totality of considerations, Syna World has cracked the code from that of the business point of view: when something feels familiar and at the same time fresh in the human mind. With those intentions in mind, it had thought of the tracksuit, an object already part of daily life and made it a bit more elevated without the humour and humanness attached.
Hence, it becomes a case of "fashion rebranding." It is the same product; only the story around it has changed. And, when it comes to branding, the story is everything.
The entire country term Syna World Tracksuit is popular because it is so British. Utilitarian with a hint of cheek, and infinitely adaptable; it could get you to the gym, to the pub garden, or to that meeting if your boss is on the casual side. It's a little like a good cuppa: Ritu always fits the occasion and makes you feel comfortable while bearing a slight bit of pride for the Nation.
Since Ricky Gervais said it, “The best advice I ever received? 'Don't waste your time on things you can't control.'” Weather, railways, or how much they charge for your pint—a little little bit of something you really can't control. Yet you can surely control what you wear. Therefore, wearing the Syna World Tracksuit states, "I'm in on the joke, but I am looking good while laughing."
Because in England, if you cannot laugh at yourself for standing in line in the rain wearing a tracksuit, well then you are just not doing it.