Next time you are bored at a bus stop try my favourite pastime: a game called jeans versus joggers. In recent years the trouser conversation has been about skinny jeans. Peak skinny jean was reached last summer with Topman's spray-on range, but if you look at young men, grey marl is hammering indigo denim. In fact, this might be the first generation of men whose default casual trouser is not jeans.
Jogging bottoms have comfort on their side: they fit loosely, are soft and have elasticated waistbands. They don't need ironing or turn-ups and can be worn with trainers, Generation Jogger's go-to shoe. There is something rebellious about their slouchy nonchalance, though this can tip easily into scruffiness.
Sportswear has been the most influential trend in men's fashion recently. Whether from rising London stars such as Christopher Shannon - who excels at witty fashion with urban bite - or Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton, who has proved that to look modern, luxury fashion must mix cutting-edge tailoring with tech-look fabrics and sporty shapes. New York designers such as Alexander Wang have developed labels out of sportswear; brands such as buzz label Hood By Air appeal to a switched-on crowd.
The haute fashion tracksuit bottom has been a trend for a few seasons – let's be honest, anything jazzy in the south of a male wardrobe is noticeable. Think of the hoo-ha about Thom Browne's ankle-grazing suits, a curveball fashion hit in the mid-noughties. The fashion jogger as a micro-trend got traction when brands such as Marc Jacobs, Emporio Armani and Versace started to appear with a tracksuit trouser-style gathered and cuffed hem. This season, Christopher Kane is among the influential designers backing printed tracksuits; on the high street, Topman has noted a surge in sales of the fashion jogger, and now sells printed and biker styles.
I bought a pair from American Apparel a few years ago during the loungewear boom and they are a favourite – with an old cashmere jumper or T-shirt, they signal downtime. Luxury brands have tapped in: Maison Martin Margiela offers cotton track pants; Dolce & Gabbana's cotton and cashmere have a pyjama quality, so aside from nipping out to buy milk, I can't imagine wearing them in public. Perhaps that is about to change.
On the autumn/winter 2014 catwalk at Bottega Veneta, models wore jogging trousers with elasticated waists; shirts were often tucked in to show this, and the best versions, cut with more shaping in the crotch than regular joggers for some very welcome support, were worn with an elegant suit jacket. By making the jogger a key message, designer Tomas Maier made sportswear feel sophisticated. These trousers will set you back about £500. So if you need to justify the purchase, you'll be glad to hear the jogger will rule the trouser department in 2015, too.
Simon Chilvers is men's style director at Matchesfashion.com
