We’re finally rolling with the Fall Season, what clothing items do you have to show for? Many of us find ourselves in a cluster of ideas, frantically choosing and switching items from both the summer and the winter seasons and compiling them together to make the perfect fall wardrobe. But what article of clothing can all of us relate to? Yes my friends, there is that one, all-year round item we have stashed in the closet, I am talking about the Track Jacket.

The track jacket has made a big impact in today’s teenagers and young adults. With the numerous color waves and the various brands that make the track jacket, all people from all walks of life can find refuge in the track jacket. We find it as a staple to most attires and the main article of clothing that ties our whole outfit together. The track jacket is one of the most versatile items there is in the market.

Let’s also not forget that we live in the Bay Area, where we have the hottest weather one day, and the coldest weather the next. The track jacket, particularly to people in the Bay, plays a major role because of its lightweight structure and ability to stay warm. We can practically wear the jacket all through the spring and even transition it straight to winter.

The impact that the track jacket has made to young adults is ridiculous, once seen as old school fashion that’ll never be revised. The track jacket, along with various items, rode on the whole 80’s craze during the early 2000s. However, while many of these 80’s items has come and gone, (the trucker hat and members only jackets) surprisingly the track jacket has made such a huge impact in today’s culture that it’s practically here to stay.

With old school revisions from Adidas and Puma, many other brands have been inspired by the culture (and the jacket) that has touched us all. The actual track jacket has been part of American history for many ages already, however, with the likes of LL Cool J and Run DMC and the early influence of hip-hop, the track jacket made an impact to kids of the 1980s.

However, with today’s culture and trendsetters such as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot and Pharell Williams, the track jacket has taken upon a whole decade of new followers, and the always revolving door for other walks of life. We see all sorts of brands branching out with their version of the track jacket. With the likes of Juicy Couture and LRG and even Old Navy and Target Brands, the needs for track jackets are growing. However the same structure is being used to make these jackets. The track jacket must be lightweight, provide pockets in the side, and carry the most distinct look, a zipper coming all the way up almost covering the whole neck.

With the ever-evolving colors and brands that shape today’s track jacket, the jacket is being used by all sorts of people, from the punk-rockers to the hip-hop heads, to the skaters and the preps, the track jacket has gone full circle from its original beginnings.

Today, let’s walk around Skyline and while it’s still sunny out there, let’s count the amounts of students wearing those track jackets. But also, let’s wait a couple of days until it gets cold, and count the students who are then wearing the jacket. I predict that there is going to be not much of a difference simply because of the jacket’s versatility. Also, it’s culturally acceptable here in the Bay to wear a jacket like the track jacket all year round.