“Jumpsuits were first introduced around 1913 by the H.D. Lee Mercantile Company and primarily sold as military uniforms or flightsuits during WWI. Other industries soon caught on to the simple duds and soon they were showing up everywhere from farms to factories. Initially designed for men, it wouldn’t be until an industrious icon named Rosie the Riveter starting showing up in her jumpsuit that women recognized the utility of wearing a garment that wouldn’t get caught in machinery as they took to the factories in WWII.”
Of course Rosie was more of a symbol of women working during that time and wasn’t an actual person. Her strong persona was responsible for the encouragement of women workers and the industry hasn’t been the same every since women got the taste for labor.
“Thousands of women participated not only on the home front making the planes but also as Air Force pilots and trainers, all wearing one-piece suits. While it was not yet socially acceptable for women to wear pants except for active sport and work wear until the mid-1960s, these powerful experiences and images became key references in later fashion interpretations.”
http://www.viewonfashion.com/article/119-2431/THE-JUMPSUIT
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