I’m sure everyone knows about the Tracksmith PR bonus going on this summer. To recap it, if you run a PR in any piece of Tracksmith apparel by August 31, they’ll give you a $250 credit for even more gear!

I first found out about Tracksmith sometime in 2015, I think, back before they carried women’s clothes. If you’re not familiar with the brand, it’s based out of Boston and produces running apparel in a vintage style with modern fabrics. They employ very basic designs, lightweight fabrics, but everything comes together to hark back to days of running past where it was more of a sport than a hobby.

As the name would suggest, the clothes are inspired by the track uniforms of runners firmly into their masters years by now. I was attracted to this brand initially because I, and probably a lot of other runners, are overcome with “Nike fatigue,” so to speak. Sportswear these days seems to require a busy pattern, extraneous straps and frills and decorative gaps. There are swooshes and parabolas and all sorts of other logos placed conspicuously all over each garment. What about a plain singlet with a small logo over the left breast, like you’d find with a polo shirt or an Oxford button down?

That’s what we’ve got.

The Good

What I love about this singlet is that the women’s cut is feminine, but doesn’t scream “I’m a woman! I’m a woman!” when you put it on. It’s just like the men’s singlets, only it’s cut slightly differently and hits a little higher up on the shoulders. Perfect.

The mesh is soft, and the seams are flat on the inside. I haven’t had a ton of time on the road in the singlet, but there’s nothing I have experienced so far that’s been irritating or anything. It’s incredibly lightweight and the odor control is fantastic. Basically, the Van Cortlandt has all the snazzy features that runners expect out of their gear, with none of the superfluous  stuff.

I can come home soaked from a long run in the middle of July and it doesn’t smell of exertion. My other singlets are only good for one run before it needs to go in the washing machine. But this one can be rinsed off and worn again the next day. I’ve been wearing it primarily for my back-to-back Saturday/Sunday runs and have put forty miles on it just in those four runs over two weekends. I have no problem just rinsing it off in the shower after Saturday’s run to use for Sunday. And anything that saves me a little bit of laundry is good in my book.

Personally, I’m thrilled with this singlet. I love how it looks, I love how it feels, and I love how I feel when I wear it, and ultimately, those qualities are what’s important when it comes to sportswear. I’m looking forward to getting a PR in it to earn myself $250 more gear. The downside, though, is how little $250 will get you.

The Bad

This singlet ended up being $73 after an $8 shipping charge. The price is a little shocking, I’ll admit, but it’s not entirely unheard of given the price of Brooks singlets. Most of Oiselle’s clothes fall into about the same price range as Tracksmith’s offerings. There are a few features that I can see making the price tag worth it, but $73 for a singlet is hard to swallow if you’re trying the brand out for the first time. And there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on prices – sales are few and far between, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find any clothing on Tracksmith’s website for less than $50.

Does that mean I don’t absolutely love the aesthetic? Not at all. I am nuts about the photography on the website and the design of the website itself, and I love the clean lines and the simple features. The whole product line meshes together well; you could blindly grab any two items on the website and wear them together with no worries about strange color combinations or mismatched lengths or anything else like that. Everything was made to work together, and it does just that.

The Beautiful

Their magazine, Meter, is stunning. The photography is fantastic and feels like it’s pulled straight out of the back issues of Track and Field News. The stories themselves leave little to be desired, and are surely more satisfying than your average issue of Runner’s World.

Tracksmith has done an impeccable job at creating a backstory for a brand that’s just two years old. They’ve captured the essence of the sport of distance running, weave it into the mesh of their clothing, and slap a happy price tag on it. Honestly, I can’t do anything but congratulate them for that.

I am completely a member of the target audience for this brand because I fall head over heels for lifestyles. I was born in the South but harbor the spirit of a New Englander. Well-designed products rend my heart and make my whole soul ache of longing. Tracksmith does that to me. Just two minutes on that website makes me dream of waking up early on a chilly Saturday and knocking out a brisk ten miler in the woods in my backyard.

The Verdict

When I was probably sixteen, my mom took me shopping to get a wallet. I picked up one and showed it to my mom, but when I saw the price, I put it down. It was made of really nice leather and had a change purse and all sorts of storage pockets. It was practically its own little purse. My mom told me that sometimes the more expensive items are worth it if you know you’ll be able to use it for the life of many other cheaper items.

Nine years later, I still use that wallet, and I don’t see myself getting rid of it any time soon. That’s how I’m feeling about the Tracksmith brand, too. I’ve put about 50 miles in this singlet so far and it just feels like a quality item. The mesh doesn’t feel like steel wool on my face when I use it to soak up errant sweat. The materials and construction feel solid. Tracksmith is a newer brand, so no one knows if these singlets will last for as long as that wallet. But I do think I’ll be able to get more miles out of this singlet than most of the others I own.

If I get that PR bonus, I’ll spend it on the actual athletic clothes instead of the athleisure products. I can’t justify $52 for a grey tank top, though not for lack of trying. But the Van Cortlandt line is good, and I’m in love with the Bislett pants too, even though they’re for men. I might even grab the beanie too.

I cannot recommend this brand more highly if it’s something you can afford and a style you love. If you’re looking for simple garments with everything you need and nothing you don’t, this is your brand. If you want to look like you ran out of the pages of a history book, Tracksmith has your back. I want one of everything.