Jumpsuits: Striding into the unknown

For nearly a century jumpsuits have been billed as the clothing of the future. Versatile and democratic, these all-in-ones outfit “blue collar workers, lounging ladies, military pilots, sky-divers, athletes, artists, utopian thinkers, glam-rockers, space-age youths, modern dancers, disco dancers, fetish enthusiasts, Star Trek fans, and more,” writes [clothing historian Cassandra Gero](. Now, they’ve climbed the ladder all the way to the boardroom. More than a century after French fashion designer Paul Poiret first debuted the “pantaloon gown,” jumpsuits are stepping forth into perhaps the most conservative corner of women’s fashion: white-collar corporate workwear. At the high-powered Milken Institute conference in Los Angeles last month, a not-insignificant number of female executives interpreted the vague “business attire” dress code as sleek, single-color jumpsuits in shades of maraschino cherry red or sky blue, similar to those favored by both [Ivanka]( and [Melania Trump]( for official events. Time and time again, jumpsuits have been posited as the next big thing, then failed to find favor with consumers. Has their day in the sun finally arrived? Let’s unzip the issue. 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( Sponsored by [Quartz Obsession] Jumpsuits May 22, 2019 The future is here --------------------------------------------------------------- For nearly a century jumpsuits have been billed as the clothing of the future. Versatile and democratic, these all-in-ones outfit “blue collar workers, lounging ladies, military pilots, sky-divers, athletes, artists, utopian thinkers, glam-rockers, space-age youths, modern dancers, disco dancers, fetish enthusiasts, Star Trek fans, and more,” writes [clothing historian Cassandra Gero](. Now, they’ve climbed the ladder all the way to the boardroom. More than a century after French fashion designer Paul Poiret first debuted the “pantaloon gown,” jumpsuits are stepping forth into perhaps the most conservative corner of women’s fashion: white-collar corporate workwear. At the high-powered Milken Institute conference in Los Angeles last month, a not-insignificant number of female executives interpreted the vague “business attire” dress code as sleek, single-color jumpsuits in shades of maraschino cherry red or sky blue, similar to those favored by both [Ivanka]( and [Melania Trump]( for official events. Time and time again, jumpsuits have been posited as the next big thing, then failed to find favor with consumers. Has their day in the sun finally arrived? Let’s unzip the issue. 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( Giphy By the digits [90:]( Jumpsuits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection [$300,000:]( Amount paid by an American investor in 2008 for Elvis Presley’s 1973 white peacock jumpsuit; the most expensive pop-star garment ever sold at auction [8:]( Office-appropriate jumpsuits currently on sale from “modern basics” retailer Everlane [2.3%:]( Share of UK-based fast fashion retailer Asos’s plus-sized clothing made up of jumpsuits; versus 4.5% of all tall and petite options [$12,500:]( Most expensive jumpsuit at luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter. Made out of python skin, it’s totally boardroom inappropriate. [68 million:]( YouTube views of “Jumpsuit,” the 2018 single from American musical duo Twenty One Pilots [0:]( Times the word “jumpsuit” appears in the Bible LABORIOUS WORKWEAR Frankly, a bit of a hassle --------------------------------------------------------------- Jumpsuits made a lot of sense for their original purpose. Designed for aviators and parachutists, a single two-legged garment helped prevent flapping hems from catching in turbines or aircraft doors. For Rosie the Riveter and her blue-collar ilk, working around machinery or grease, they were similarly sensible. As today’s white-collar workwear, however, jumpsuits border on the impractical. Unlike regular suits, you can’t adjust them according to the temperature of the room, and any accessories—belts, scarves, jackets—must be entirely removed if you wish to use the bathroom. To be crystal clear, you have to get almost entirely naked to pee. In fashion, convenience “quickly takes second place to the delicious look of convenience,” [writes clothing historian Anne Hollander](. She wasn’t specifically talking about jumpsuits, but she may as well have been. And though the right jumpsuit can be comfortable, the wrong one is excruciating. Ideally you want to try it on in person—the fit can be tricky to get right—though that isn’t always an option for women who wear larger sizes, which are often sold “online only.” But women persevere. Jumpsuits’ attributes—you don’t have to match any two items of clothing, they’re easy to pack, that certain futuristic je ne sais quoi—seem to outweigh their downsides. More and more women are taking the plunge, often after a nudge from a personal shopper or an assertive friend. At personal styling company Stitch Fix, “jumpsuits are outpacing growth tremendously in workwear right now. Our jumpsuit business is twice as big this year as it was last year,” [women’s buying director Katherine Watts told Quartz](. “It’s the new dress. It’s comfortable, but it’s a great way for her to demonstrate fashion, or reflect fashion in an easy, versatile way.” Sponsored by David Yurman Forged for fathers --------------------------------------------------------------- Whether it’s his first Father’s Day—or his fortieth—celebrate him with a David Yurman men’s ring that merges 18K gold with black titanium and forged carbon.[Shop men’s bands]( “Realizing the depths of her mistake far too late, local woman Alicia Cohen quietly admitted to herself, ‘Twas hubris led me here,’ as she sat naked on a public toilet with her romper around her ankles, sources said Wednesday.” —[The Onion]( Reuters/Luke MacGregor Pop quiz Which world leader favored a jumpsuit? Margaret ThatcherWinston ChurchillNelson MandelaJohn F. Kennedy Correct. Churchill attempted to popularize zip-up “siren suits” in pinstriped fabric or green velvet. Incorrect. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. Giphy Brief history [1911:]( French designer Poiret produces vivid illustrations of women in jumpsuit-like attire gardening, playing tennis, and taking time to sniff the flowers, with the caption “Celles de Demain”—tomorrow’s fashions. [1922:]( Coco Chanel (and her many imitators) adopt all-in-one “beach pyjamas” on the beaches and sidewalks of France’s Côte d’Azur. [1923:]( Constructivist artist-engineers in the newly created Soviet Union look to the jumpsuit as a key example of the anti-fashion of the glorious future. Customers are less convinced, favoring the anti-anti-fashions of the wicked, individualistic West. [1937:]( Amelia Earhart, the aviator who helped popularize the jumpsuit, vanishes over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world. [1942:]( A war propaganda poster by Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller is drawn up, featuring a woman in a jumpsuit under the headline “We Can Do It!” In time, she becomes known as Rosie the Riveter. [1972:]( David Bowie releases The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, launching his jumpsuit-wearing androgynous bisexual rock star alter ego Ziggy Stardust in the process. [1977:]( American New Wave band Devo sport distinctive yellow jumpsuits in a video for their cover of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. [2014:]( A Michigan prison replaces its orange jumpsuits for black and white stripes, after the Netflix show Orange is the New Black makes them trendy. [2017:]( Ivanka Trump wears a bottle-green jumpsuit to a G20 Summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany. Have a friend who would enjoy our Obsession with Jumpsuits? [ [Forward link to a friend](mailto:?subject=Thought you'd enjoy.&body=Read this Quartz Obsession email – to the email – Fun fact! Futurist artist Thayaht designed one of the [first jumpsuits in 1919]( the TuTa. This striking, T-shaped item had buttons up the front and was billed as “the most innovative, futuristic garment ever produced in the history of Italian fashion.” More suited to art-piece than actual clothing, it didn’t make the splash he had hoped. Watch this! As seen in the year 2000 --------------------------------------------------------------- In this British Pathé footage, nine designers showcase their vision for the clothing of the future, including sky-high beehives and adaptable dresses. Two suggest jumpsuits. As the voiceover incredulously notes: “Yet another designer goes so far as to believe that skirts will disappear entirely.” Imagine! Giphy take me down this 🐰 hole! As stagewear, Elvis Presley was a huge fan of a jumpsuit—ideally studded with rhinestones and fringed within an inch of its life. This [painstaking compilation]( of 68 of his 1970s outfits is a glorious whistle-stop-tour of all the different ways you can “do” a white leather jumpsuit. A fitting testament to the king of rock and roll’s burning love for the all-in-one. Quotable “It’s wearable. And not just as a costume for first nights in the big city. But right in there. On the office front line. In the Saturday shopping stakes. Wherever you live your life.” —A 1976 GQ ad for the male corporate “one suit.” It didn’t catch on. Giphy Poll Would you wear a jumpsuit? [Click here to vote]( No, the bathroom problem is a deal breakerI’m with Elvis. Jumpsuits forever!Until today, I’m not sure I knew what a jumpsuit was... 💬let's talk! In yesterday’s poll about [avatars]( 58% of you said you don’t have one—“one personality is plenty.” While 12% said they’re scary, 30% find them liberating. You do you—or not. 🤔 [What did you think of today’s email?](mailto:obsession%2Bfeedback@qz.com?cc=&subject=Thoughts%20about%20jumpsuits&body=) 💡 [What should we obsess over next?](mailto:obsession%2Bideas@qz.com?cc=&subject=Obsess%20over%20this%20next.&body=) [🎲 Show me a random Obsession]( Today’s email was written by [Natasha Frost]( edited by [Annaliese Griffin,]( and produced by [Luiz Romero](. The correct answer to the quiz is Winston Churchill. Enjoying the Quartz Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! Want to advertise in the Quartz Obsession? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. Not enjoying it? No worries. [Click here]( to unsubscribe. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States [Share this email](