Suit yourself in a jumpsuit

The jumpsuit is one of the hottest trends that has resurfaced since last year Spring 08. Like most fashions it was bred of function and necessity initially and has been updated to offer not just comfort, but fashion forward style.
The function came into play as jumpsuits were made oversized to be worn over clothes as a protective covering so workers didn’t bring home dirt and grime.
This function of the jumpsuit is known as the coverall. The word “coverall” has been used to describe varied types of protective dress as early as the eighteenth century and is also interchangeable with the term “boilersuit”.
http://www.viewonfashion.com/article/119-2431/THE-JUMPSUIT
Above left is the 1913 Lee Union-alls specifically marketed for “Men who work to build America” This article is actually from a 1947 magazine ad.

The picture on the top right is one of an engineer’s combination boiler suit from the 1920’s

History of Jumpsuits

The jumpsuit was celebrated last year and the beginning of this year in a museum exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum. Above is a picture of some of the garments that were captured in this exhibit.

Jumpsuits and Utility

“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

Spacesuits

When jumpsuits jumped from utility to fashion, it was around the 70’s.
“The one-piece gained high visibility during the mid-1960s and 1970s when man took his first steps on the moon wearing a one-piece space suit and it was adopted by performers such as Elvis and worn by characters in movies such as Star Wars.”
http://www.viewonfashion.com/article/119-2431/THE-JUMPSUIT
Above is a photograph of Mercury Project astronauts Gus & Virgil Grissom with suit technician Joe Schmidt on Apollo Mission Photos. The Mercury Missions were the United States first attempt at putting a man into orbit around the earth. The program ran from 1959-1963.

Jumpsuits and Futurism

“The Mercury Astronauts, known as The Original 7 are pictured above on April 9, 1959. From left to right: Scott Carpenter, Gordo Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton.”

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You can see the importance of this profession being adapted into fashion, especially in Sci-Fi films that attempted to depict futuristic clothing. Above is a view of the original 7.
“This was the only astronaut group with members who flew on all classes of NASA manned spacecraft of the 20th century, from Mercury, through Gemini and Apollo, and ending with John Glenn's flight on the STS-95 Space Shuttle mission.” 1959

Children's Jumpsuits

The next big introduction of jumpsuits came in the form of children’s wear. This trend has endured through the ages because of their practicality and ease in dressing children. Jumpsuits are especially popular with babies because their one piece function allows little fuss as diapers are changed.
Not sure the year of the picture above, but it’s a great example of an infant jumpsuit. You can see how easy it would be to change the diaper on this suit.

Jumpsuits Today

Today jumpsuits are coming back on the runway in familiar form. They range from short to long and fitted to draped. Below is a shot of Milan Fashion week for Spring 09 and the prevalence of Jumpsuits is unmistakable.

From left to right:

Etro, Francesco Scognamiglio, Giorgio Armani, Iceberg, Moschino, MaxMara