SHELL SUIT

noun Also written shellsuit (Lifestyle and Leisure) A double-layered track suit with a showerproof outer nylon shell and a soft cotton lining. Etymology: Formed by compounding: a suit with an outer shell. History and Usage: The shell suit suddenly became a fashion garment for general leisure wear (whether or not this involved any kind of sport) at the end of the eighties, a time when hip hop culture had already popularized casual sportswear and turned the running-shoe or trainer into a status symbol. The shell suit has the advantage of doing away with the need for outdoor clothing, since the outer nylon shell is showerproof and moderately windproof, and the trapping of air between the layers makes for warmth. Shell suits are typically brightly coloured, with panels or flashes of different colours across the sleeves, legs, and front. Shell suit by Adidas. Strong nylon outer. Hardwearing suit features two side pockets, attractive contrast piping. Burlington Home Shopping Catalogue Autumn-Winter 1989/90, p. 554 With the trainers go a garish array of track suits--known as 'shell suits'. Daily Telegraph 9 June 1990, p. 13