From war to catwalk
From having a functional objective in the Second World War to filling catwalks, streets and even red carpets for their aesthetics, the utilitarian jumpsuits that Schiaparelli already designed in the 40s or that Grace Kelly Gardner wore in the film "Mogambo" are fighting to gain a foothold in wardrobe funds as a versatile garment. Khaki tones, camouflage prints or cargo pants are some of the garments that, after dressing war scenes in the World Wars, made an aesthetic impression on catwalks, movies and trends. The phenomenon, baptized by fashion experts as "utility fashion", elevates the jumpsuit as a star garment.
They are worn by Cate Blanchett for appointments such as the Venice Festival to supermodel Irina Shayk or Emily Ratajowski, and they paraded down international catwalks in luxury firms such as Givenchy or Fendi. But the origin of this garment is far from serving an aesthetic purpose, betting everything on functionality. And it is that this design was designed to facilitate the work of coal boiler cleaners, thus preventing soot from entering through the waist as it is a single piece that, literally, received the name of "boilersuit" (boiler suit) , to later become popular in war scenarios such as World War II.
PILOTS AND MILITARY
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Avoiding snags as it was a single plain piece and in variants such as cotton, the aviation pilots of this period popularized the outfit, attributed to the military but which also became a wildcard garment for trades linked to the industrial, the reforms or the construction. Glamor would later come from the hand of international movie stars and fashion muses such as Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner, who wore this piece in costumes designed by Helen Rose, with the sleeves rolled up and the necks turned up in “Mogambo” (1950). ), which, set in Africa, dressed both protagonists in utilitarian fashion that was far from haute couture.
Since then, it has been establishing itself in the wardrobes cyclically, experiencing a peak in 2019 at the hands of firms such as Fendi, Givenchy, Alberta Ferretti or Max Mara, who launched their own versions on the catwalks in earth, green and beige tones. and combined with wide belts or berets. Cate Blanchett opting for a patterned model and another in white, Irina Shayk in a fitted version in electric blue and Georgina Rodríguez in a white piece with the cuffs marked by two-tone Gucci stripes were some of those responsible for turning the utilitarian jumpsuit into a star of the Venice Film Festival in this edition. Now and hand in hand with the "genderless" movement in fashion, which advocates genderless garments, the utilitarian jumpsuit is once again strongly introduced into the trends of the moment, and it does so both in the hands of economic firms such as Zara, H&M or Mango like big firms that during the catwalks this fall bet again on the garment.
From versions with exaggerated structures and shoulder pads at Balenciaga to others patterned and embellished with chain-link belts at Chanel. In “oversize” patterns (loose) and with Isabel Marant neon tones, utility jumpsuits are reinvented and positioned as a new basic. Spanish designers are also joining the trend, as the firm Maison Mesa did in September, which in the "Monitor and punish" collection, by sheathing almost half of the models in its collection in utilitarian overalls, in lines of pockets and fluid patterns.
María Escoté did the same for what was her first collaboration with the firm Desigual, for which she proposed a printed model among the different garments in the collection, making the utilitarian jumpsuit a new timeless basic suitable for all kinds of styles.
