Want to get hold of a designer tracksuit this season? Then you might also have to get your skates on. “Everyone is going a little crazy for the SAINT LAURENT track jacket and I completely understand why,” says Rachel O-Williams, Personal Shopper at MR PORTER. She is, of course, referencing the viral sensation, worn by the likes of Tom Holland. “It’s the perfect meeting point between sporty and luxurious.”

This intersection is important. SAINT LAURENT’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, has homed in on “the tension between sportswear and more sophisticated dressing,” says Benedict Browne, MR PORTER’s Style Director. “His approach is less about reproducing vintage sportswear literally and more about taking its codes – the track jacket, athletic proportions, technical fabrics – and giving them a much more sensual finish.”

This piece speaks to a wider trend. “Retro sportswear has moved well beyond being an off-duty or streetwear proposition and is now being treated as a serious part of the wardrobe,” Browne says. “There’s a real nostalgia for the golden age of European sportswear.”

Browne identifies “the late 1970s through to the 1990s” as the focus. “Classic track jackets, nylon windbreakers, zip-up tops, colour-blocking and streamlined tracksuits.”

“A lot of brands have been referencing a classic sportswear style [for a while],” notes Kit Swann, Fashion Editor at MR PORTER. “We’ve seen that from brands like Dries Van Noten, the ever-popular low-pro sneaker originating from early sneaker designs and current-day sprint shoes. The SAINT LAURENT track jacket references a sports era that I think we will start to see a lot more of.” He also spotlights “the hooded leather track jacket from Wales Bonner”.

Sportswear always was designed to go places quickly. It’s just that, in its latest designer incarnation, the axis has shifted and it has shot up vertically. The focus here is on “proportion, fabric and restraint” Browne says. “The high street can reproduce the obvious signifiers of retro sportswear very effectively, but designer versions tend to be more considered in the details and use more elevated materials.”

This crossover goes two ways, with nimble sportswear brands also upping their game. “There’s certainly a move towards combining sportswear and clothing, especially with cult running brands such as Satisfy and Literary Sport becoming so popular,” Swann says. “They are arguably bridging the gap between everyday wear and sportswear. I saw recently that Literary Sport has made a walking cardigan, which I love the idea of; bringing something that would usually only be seen as casual and combining it with activewear is really interesting design.”

The way you wear this new luxe sports gear should switch accordingly, too. “My favourite way to style it is with a more formal outfit,” O-Williams says. “Think tailored trousers, a crisp shirt or polished loafers. It’s a great way to introduce a little nostalgia into your wardrobe without looking as though you’ve stepped straight out of an archive.”

“The easiest rule is don’t wear it like sportswear,” Browne says. “Use one sporty piece to disrupt an otherwise normal outfit. A track jacket with tailored trousers is probably my favourite combination.”

If there was any doubt, the track jacket is the key piece here. “It has such a strong visual identity, but is surprisingly versatile,” Browne says.

“They are just blousons, but cinched cuffs and waists give the jackets such nice shapes,” Swann says. “I also think we’ll start to see more trouser shapes with cinched or tying cords around the hems, too.”

“Rugby shirts also speak to this trend with bold, bright and blocked colours coming through strong,” Browne adds.

“Wearing a track jacket with sneakers can feel a little too predictable,” O-Williams says. “It immediately pushes the look into sportswear territory. If that’s the aesthetic you’re after, by all means embrace it. But if you’re looking to elevate the look, I’d go smart-casual instead. A polished loafer or sleek leather shoe creates that unexpected contrast between the sporty jacket and more formal footwear.”

“A track jacket with loafers or Derby shoes can look incredibly good because it creates that tension between athletic and formal dressing,” Browne agrees. “It’s also a very easy way of making retro sportswear feel more grown-up. The charm of this trend is that it looks like sportswear, but doesn’t have to function like sportswear.”

However you wear it, take the look and run with it.