Suits you, ma'am

We all thought it was the one outfit that had been laid to rest. Yet suddenly, the velour tracksuit - once an object of ridicule - has staged a quiet but spectacular comeback.

It's a trend that goes back not to the catwalk but to Tinseltown.

Geri Halliwell was first off the starting blocks, photographed leaving a restaurant in LA in a Barbie-pink jogging suit - closely followed by Madonna and Cameron Diaz (recently spotted in alluring turquoise).

Jennifer Lopez is scarcely seen out of a jogging suit these days (and has even designed her own range); while Gwyneth Paltrow appears to own a whole wardrobe of them.

Suddenly, the jogging suit - or 'sweatsuit' as it is unglamorously termed in the U.S. - looks set to enjoy its finest hour.

No longer associated with badly permed hair, American tourists and a middle-aged spread, it's become the fashionable new urban uniform of the rich and famous.

We are not, however, talking about any old tracksuit, but a designer version of the much-maligned leisure ensemble. Sagging bottoms and voluminous tops have been replaced by luxe, candy-coloured fabrics and a tight fit.

Most important of all is the label - and for the rich and famous, only one will do, Juicy Couture. Liz Hurley flaunted her postpregnancy figure in white Juicy track pants.

Kate Moss has a black terry-towelling outfit; Catherine Zeta Jones is a devotee, Gwyneth Paltrow has one in chocolate brown, and Jade Jagger has a red cashmere ensemble.

Britney Spears, meanwhile, was recently photographed slouching around Beverly Hills in a tank top and Juicy tracksuit bottoms.

Such is the phenomenon, that at Harvey Nichols, where there is a permanent waiting list for Juicy Couture tracksuits, there were scenes of near hysteria when the last consignment arrived.

'We couldn't unpack them quickly enough,' says a spokesman. 'People were grabbing them out of the cardboard boxes and in some cases fighting over a piece or bursting into tears when they couldn't find the right size. It was unbelievable.'

So what's so special about Juicy Couture? Quite simply, it's the cut. Designed by New Yorker Gela Nash-Taylor, 40 (who is married to Duran Duran's John Taylor) and her friend Pam Skaist Levy, 37, the tracksuits are comfortable yet glamorous and sexy.

The hooded velour tops (from £80) are fitted and tight while the bottoms (from £90) are cut unfeasibly, almost indecently, low on the hips - all the better for emphasising a tiny bottom.

The colours, meanwhile, (20 in total) are designed to show off a St Tropez tan - the more garish ones, such as orange, pink and turquoise are the most soughtafter.

For added cachet, celebrities are personalising their outfits: Madonna has 'Madge' emblazoned on her beige velour one; while Victoria Beckham has ordered a personalised Juicy suit in pale pink - presumably to show off her post-pregnancy figure.

It's certainly one way to avoid altercations in the changing room. The truth, however, is that these tracksuits are not designed to be worn in the gym.

Although actress Kate Beckinsale has been spotted wearing her Juicy joggers on a rigorous workout on the streets of LA, most celebrities have nothing so athletic in mind. Instead, they wear them for lunch, a little light shopping or even - in Jade Jagger's case - teaming them with high heels for going out.

The Juicy Couture tracksuit is the latest form of fashion elitism.

It's not just that the cashmere version costs up to £400 or that looking like you are en route to a yoga studio is all the rage. It's the fact that you will need to have worked- out first in order to fit into one. Juicy Couture is not for couch potatoes. It's for the tanned, the toned and taut-of-stomach.

You could, of course, wear your Juicy joggers for lounging around at home. But at those prices you'd be a fool to snuggle up on the sofa in them.

If you've got the figure, the only thing to do is to get out there and flaunt them.