Everyone I Know Owns This Hot-Pink Gap Sweatsuit

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Katie Hintz-Zambrano, Angela Tafoya, Lauren Podoll

It all started last fall when my friend, Katie Hintz-Zambrano, posted photos wearing this hot-pink Gap sweatsuit. Then another friend shared, followed by another, and another. Before I knew it, my Instagram feed was flooded with this bubblegum-colored ensemble. But it wasn’t until a number of them showed up on a girls’ weekend to Guerneville matching head to toe that I thought, Okay, this sweatsuit is clearly a thing.

What was it about this seemingly random two-piece set that was so appealing? While I naturally gravitate toward color, I’m not usually big on sweatsuits — I don’t know if it’s too close to feeling like pajamas or I just don’t own any that truly excite me (I have one in an off-white color that I hardly wear). But after seeing it yet again, this time on florist Natalie Bowen Brookshire at a sound bath in Russian River, I was intrigued. If so many discerning women were into it, I thought, why not try it and see what the hype was all about?

The suit, which comes in a variety of colors, is actually sold as two separate pieces: the “vintage soft” high-rise boyfriend joggers and the coordinating crewneck sweater. And the color, Standout Pink, definitely lives up to its name. The color is reflected pretty accurately on Gap’s website, but when I got it, I was still surprised at how vivid it was in person. When I ordered, I wasn’t sure the suit would be restricted to WFH days or if it was something I could actually wear out. To give it more versatility, I actually opted for the hoodie version instead of the crewneck, thinking about how it could work just as well with a jacket or trench as it would on the couch.

When I asked people how this suit landed on their radars to begin with, they all credited interior designer Lauren Podoll, who texted it to friends after seeing it in a Gap store on sale this past October. “I was out shopping for my son’s birthday when I spotted it,” she says. “Usually, I wear more neutral or primary tones, but the garment-dyed neon pink stopped me in my tracks. The idea of boldly wearing head-to-toe neon felt whimsical, uplifting, and gave me all the nostalgic feelings of childhood in the ’80s.” Hintz-Zambrano sees the suit similarly: “It looks and feels celebratory, joyous, and creative,” she told me.

Natalie Bowen Brookshire in the pink sweatsuit.
Photo: Natalie Bowen Brookshire

Another part of the sweatsuit’s appeal: the fit. It’s oversize and relaxed without feeling sloppy. While my original impression was that it needed to be relegated to “inside clothes,” it’s really versatile and can be dressed up, too. I’ve worn it out for drinks with friends, as well as running around to appointments. Bowen Brookshire wears it out and about, too: “I often pair it with a navy wool trench coat, which levels up the vibe and makes the whole moment more surprising when you open the coat,” she says.

The first time I wore it out of the house, I styled it under a Sezane trench coat with Birkenstocks and headed to a co-working space — and that’s when the compliments started rolling in, from comments about how I was glowing (probably because I literally was wearing neon) to inquiries about where I got it.

The pink sweatsuit styled with the Sezane trench.
Photo: Angela Tafoya

One thing I wasn’t expecting about this hot-pink getup: It’s become an “if you know, you know” item for women of many ages — a sisterhood of the pink sweatsuit, as it were. “It takes a bit of confidence to be in the world in head-to-toe neon, and I think that honestly makes others feel safe around you,” says Bowen Brookshire. Hintz-Zambrano agrees: “I was once on a long walk in my neighborhood and saw a woman who was probably 20 years older than me wearing the Standout Pink sweatshirt. It made me feel like we’d probably get along.” At first, I wasn’t sure if I fully subscribed to that sentiment — until one morning when I was dropping off my daughter at school, I glanced out the car window, and what did I see? One of her classmates proudly trotting to school wearing the pink sweatshirt — proving the magic of this sweatsuit truly spans generations, offering a little joy to everyone who wears it.

More pink Gap sweatsuits in the wild, spotted by Strategist editor Jen Trolio.
Photo: Jen Trolio

Editor’s note: The pink dye of the sweatsuit may run when you wash it; consider washing it separately first.

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