Is it necessary for a teenager to avoid dressing head to toe in athletic clothes like a whole set?

Posted by Physical_Rent_2114@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 40 comments

It may be a stupid question but I’m an East Asian teenager who will soon be studying in London and visiting many other places. I have some athletic adidas clothes like hoodies, shorts, shoes and caps and I’m planning to take them with me. They’re like black with white stripes and pretty comfortable to wear. Will it be considered as chav gear? Should I avoid wearing them all together at the same time like a whole set?

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PetersMapProject@reddit

There is a very real chance that if you wear them, people will start to make snap judgements about your social class, especially if they're worn as a set.

How you wear your hair, accessories and jewellery will have an impact too - for example a baseball cap is going to add to the effect.

Wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a t shirt when you're visibly on your way to the gym is very different to wearing a matching set with a thick gold chain and a baseball cap at the pub.

On balance, I'd avoid wearing them as sets and make sure you bring some other clothes too. You want to fit in, and students tend to be more middle class.

The British social class system is a deeply complex thing, and very often we know a social class when we see it but struggle to define any given one. I'll recommend a book called Watching the English by Kate Fox.

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

It’s very helpful, thank you

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NoIndividual9296@reddit

Please ignore this person, he is just stuck-up. You can and should wear whatever you want, and nobody apart from these kind of weirdos on the internet would judge you for it

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echo588@reddit

I have this in my shelf ready to read next! Hope it’s decent.

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bars_and_plates@reddit

Probably an unpopular opinion on here but I would personally consider wearing any athletic gear unless you are actually going to play a sport or go to the gym not the done thing.

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neilm1000@reddit

I wouldn't wear them as a set. If nothing else it looks a bit too much.

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eidolon_eidolon@reddit

If you're content to look like a generic teenager with zero personality or style then sure, crack on.

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wwrd77@reddit

I'm an Individual because I have money to buy fancy clothes

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VeryAwkwardCake@reddit

not exactly economical to buy 100% adidas costumes either

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NecroVelcro@reddit

I thought that this was a full kit wanker question at first.

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Paperopiero@reddit

If there's one place in the world where you can wear whatever you like, that's London

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Current_Thing2244@reddit

Nobody will care. The only time it might be a problem is if you go to a pub or club that doesn't allow tracksuits so take some smart clothing for nights out.

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escapingfromelba@reddit

Fashion is followed by millions because people do care, it's a myth that they don't.

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PetersMapProject@reddit

A lot of people will make assumptions based on what you wear, but they will also completely deny caring what you wear.

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KatieCampbel1@reddit

Some people would but I doubt they would say anything

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Loki-616@reddit

It really depends on where you are and what activity you will be doing.

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Sea-Still5427@reddit

Doesn't matter, unless you're trying to fit in with a particular social group.

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GenGaara25@reddit

I'd say chav is indicated more by posture and body language than the uniform. They're usually disruptive, rude, and aggressive. They just happen to default to the full tracksuit uniform.

As long as you're not that, people are unlikely to think you're a chav. Even in that gear. Lots of people wear full sports gear, but as long as they're not also giving bad vibes you're not gonna be mistaken for a chav.

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AromaticVacation3077@reddit

Head to toe adidas would probably be considered in the way you fear, yes, but mixing the sportswear in with other stuff is something London cool kids do all the time.

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

That’s really good to hear. I didn’t know that before

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AromaticVacation3077@reddit

London is an amazing city full of people and cultures from all over the world. Have a great time. :-)

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

Thank you :D I’m looking forward to it

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Fit_Adhesiveness7307@reddit

If you wear your sportswear outside of classes, no one’s gonna know you’re not on your way to/from the gym, and in case anyone did judge you negatively you could even say you’re exercising.

I really don’t think anyone would think it’s chavvy nowadays though. “Athleisure” is fashionable to wear as casual clothes in everyday life now. Probably it’s even normal to wear to classes instead of jeans, if you wanted.

My partner is from Macau, he’s half Chinese and half Portuguese and he also came here to study. When I met him at university, he did not know about the “chav” connotation at all. Back then was the peak of chav culture so I had to explain to him that if he went around dressed head to toe in Nike gear, some people would get a negative impression of him. That was in 2004, though. It is different now.

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

Thank you :D it’s great to know that things are different now

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No_Height_2408@reddit

Get some jeans and t-shirt to wear for options. Wearing a tracksuit to university everyday isn't standard, not sure why no one is telling you.

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

I surely will bring more than tracksuits. It just feels convenient and comfortable to wear it when I’m not taking classes or anything like that

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No_Height_2408@reddit

That's good. Hope you have a good time in London.

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Physical_Rent_2114@reddit (OP)

Thanks :)

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KatieCampbel1@reddit

Take them with you. Just wear it in the gym or when you go jogging

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BG3restart@reddit

Nobody in the UK really takes an interest in what teenagers are wearing other than maybe other teenagers. Unless you're naked, you'll be pretty much invisible to most of the population.

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MitziDd@reddit

Nah you're overthinking it mate. Full Adidas tracksuits are everywhere in London, literally no one is going to care. The whole "chav" thing is way overblown online and it was never really about the clothes anyway. You'll see half the people on the tube in matching sets. Wear what's comfortable, London is massive and incredibly diverse, nobody's paying attention to your outfit trust me.

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flohara@reddit

Entirely depends on the person. What you study, what you do in your spare time...

If you are in the gym, and you study sports related things, it might be perfectly justified.

If you are in some sort of posh environment, it may he seen as too casual.

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when_music_hits@reddit

You do what you like, if it happens to appear a certain way, you won't be the only one. I used to get told that my clothing choices are gay/European. Do I care? Nope, will I change my personal choices? Nope. Does it confuse the looks looks guys when I'm abroad? 100%

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