Mens shell suit and the ways and means to rock this look
September 2, 2019From streetwear to sportswear and everything in between, learn all you need to know to rock mens shell suit options in all aspects of your life, from work to play.
Mens shell suit applications range from day to night mix-and-match options for the jacket and trousers, to the perfect shell suit costume for your next 1980s fancy dress event, so find yourself a mens shell suit outfit to fit your style and rock on!
Mens shell suits
Shell suit costume ideas
Whether you want to add some retro style into your current wardrobe with a mens shell suit, or you are looking for a shell suit costume to wear to your 1980s themed fancy dress party, here are some great online market places to browse and shop for the perfect mens shell suit for your needs.
Asos
- Start with Asos and here you will find a range of high-end, high quality designer shell suit choices from such name brands as Fila with its logo-emblazoned tracksuit jacket, or a vintage Fred Perry mens top in neutral colours like blue and black.
Puma and Adidas shell options are also available here, all authentic original apparel in excellent condition and ready to wear with your current favourites.
These designer choices come in the perfect range of colours that go with everything, like blue, black and grey, so you can pair the mens shell suit jacket with your polo shirt and khakis for day time style or add the mens shell suit trousers to your classic white T-shirt for weekend wear.
Amazon
- Move on to Amazon next, and give their vast selection a view. Here, you have literally hundreds of variations and options to choose from, whether for everyday wear or fancy dress
Inspired by TV shows like “Six Million Dollar Man” and movies starring Brue Lee, the styles and choices for shopping are endless.
Look for classic 1980s blue tracksuit costumes, to the even more iconic turquoise coloured mens shell suit made famous in the 80s and 90s, to contrasting coloured jacket and trouser combinations that you wear together or as separates.
90s shell suit
Smiffys
- Smiffys is another cool place to shop your brightly coloured shell combination suit. Check out what they offer.
You will see mens options in 100% polyester, one of the original fabrications from the 1980s. Smiffys offers you authentic one-of-a-kind costume choices from back in the day in colours to fit your taste, perfect for fancy dress events or to rock in your everyday life.
David Icke in blue shell suit in 1991
Etsy
- Then head on over to Etsy for rare vintage selections from the original owners of these classics. You’ll see windbreaker suits, tracksuits, shell suit costume outfits and jacket and trouser separates at this site, all available online for you to get inspiration.
These are all original 1980s and 1990s outfits, so you know you are getting one-of-a-kind options to choose from.
eBay
- And finally, before you decide where to buy, shop at the original online store – eBay – to find great deals unisex shell suit jackets and trousers. eBay gives you the largest selection of originals to current-day spins on the shell suit costume, so you are sure to find something that fits your lifestyle and your budget here.
Getting in-person with the best choices
Now that you’ve checked out the best online market places for your mens sports costume, don’t forget you can also head on down to your local thrift store and find some ridiculously cheap yet authentic 1980s mens shell suit outfits there too, with the bonus of tactile engagement and immediate gratification.
Or if you are looking for something more up-market and timeless, visit the consignment stores in your city to find high-end designer spins on mens and Womens sports jackets and trousers. Buy the whole outfit or buy them as separates in different colours, to wear together or with everything else in your wardrobe.
Brooklyn NY breakdancers in their shellsuits, 1980s
Shell suit Icons
These outfits have been worn through all the past decades from the 1960s to today, by iconic stars of sports, music, movies and TV. Consider yourself in good company when you take your costume out for a spin, whether as a full tracksuit or worn as separate pieces.
- Starting way back in the 1960s, sports icons like Tommie Smith and John Carlos adopted the precursor of the shell suit, the tracksuit, for hardcore sportswear and use. These utilitarian tracksuits were made of moisture-absorbing fabrics like terry cloth and cotton, with buttons instead of zips, worn while warming up for game, then after to cool down.
- In the 1970s, they became the uniform of joggers everywhere, including the U.S. of A’s president at the time, Jimmy Carter. This was a unisex outfit worn by men and women alike, from Soccer mums to business tycoons out for their daily see-and-be-seen morning jog.
- Also, in the 70s, Hollywood embraced the rugged masculine charms of the sports suit ala Bruce Lee in “Game of Death”, looking like a dragon in his yellow version of the iconic suit.
TV shows
Popular TV shows of the decade also got in on the game, with Lee Majors wearing a red version of the mens shell suit in “The Six Million Dollar Man”.
- Moving beyond sports and Hollywood, mens shell suits pins were rocked by music moguls from Jay-Z to Diddy, and by bands like Run DMC. These style statements of badass boys and men were the choice of wear from hip-hop and rap stars all the way to teenagers breakdancing on street corners from LA to NYC.
- In the 1990s, shell suit uniforms reached a pinnacle of fame and publicity when worn as the official shell suit costume of the USA basketball team to the Summer Olympic games in Barcelona, Spain. Sports icons from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson wore their sporting uniforms with pride and attitude for these games.
- Across the Atlantic in Liverpool, fashion-forward Scousers adopted the shell suit in all its bright and shiny glory as they set the style trends for all of Britain. Popular Brit bands like Blur and Oasis looked uber-cool in their variations, while football stars put their own spin on the shell suit costume.
90s Kappa Tracksuit
How to style your mens shell suit today
There are so many cool ways to rock your mens shell jacket for a cool retro-modern look from day to night to weekends. For a business-casual spin, layer a jacket in a dark neutral like navy or black, over a crisp white button down tucked into khakis or chinos and finished with sock-free loafers.
For a weekend laid-back vibe, throw your jacket in a statement-making colour like forest green or dark red, over top of your classic white T-shirt and your dark wash straight leg jeans, then add your favourite white runners to finish the look.
And for an evening out, layer the jacket over a black turtleneck sweater and black dress pants for a dangerous yet approachable persona.
With so much choice available today, online and in-store, just let your imagination flow. Pair your mens shell suit trousers with your favourite tee shirts and runners for casual wear or dress them up with a cashmere sweater and boots for streetwear style. The choices and combinations are endless, so have fun with it!
[i] https://marketplace.asos.com/men/tracksuits
[ii] https://www.amazon.com/1980s-Shell-Scouser-Tracksuit-Costume/dp/B00RGEKU4O
[iii] https://www.smiffys.com/products/retro-shell-suit-costume-mens
[iv] https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/shell_suit
[v] https://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/90s-shell-suit
Five Vintage Shell Suit Styles That Took The World By Surprise!
Seven retro shell suit jacket classics that will take your breath away
https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/1980s-shell-suit-tops/
Find 1980s shell suit tops, and where to buy neon fitted suits
Pulling the shell suit 90s style look – Casual and work wear
https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/shell-suit-80s/
Wear a vintage shell suit and show your fashion-forward savvy
