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While there's certainly a case to be made against the jumpsuit – you need someone on hand to help do up the damn thing, toilet situations are problematic, and don't get us started on festival scenarios – there's just something so liberating about a one-piece. Perhaps it reminds us of the all-in-ones our parents put us in when we were toddlers... In any case, gone are preoccupations with rising hemlines or fussy shirt tucks: you can just throw it on and you're good to go.
The original style, designed by Florentine Thayat in 1919, was a functional outfit worn by skydivers and parachuters to jump out of aeroplanes (hence the name) but came to be worn by Formula One drivers, skiers, astronauts, car mechanics and plumbers alike. However, the jumpsuit soon evolved from its utilitarian beginnings to become a fashion statement in its own right. When wartime threats of air raids introduced the need for easy and quick clothing, legendary Italian surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli produced jumpsuits with matching velvet headwear (just look at Rosie the Riveter's navy one-piece in the "We Can Do It!" poster).
It was the '70s that really breathed sartorial life into the jumpsuit. The hangover from Woodstock saw long-haired lovers don matching crocheted one-pieces, while Studio 54 legends like Diana Ross, Bianca Jagger and Cher brought the house down in their embellished, fringed, satin, and glitter-ball jumpsuits. The '80s brought powerhouse boiler suits to the forefront of women's wardrobes, all sharp shoulders and electric hues, and today, jumpsuits are a favourite for chic but practical workwear and easy-breezy summer get-ups.
There's no denying the power of a good jumpsuit – click through to see our pick of the best.
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