The hardest working onesie Why the boiler suit is having a moment - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Fashion The hardest working onesie Why the boiler suit is having a moment By You Magazine - February 20, 2018 They’re on the catwalk, all over the high street and even celebrities aren’t immune to their comfortable and (whisper it) practical charms. Margot Robbie teams hers with high-heeled mules, former J Crew creative director Jenna Lyons drapes a camel overcoat over pink ones, and model Iris Law wears hers over a striped top. Not since the 1970s have fashion and film’s most glamorous women proudly showcased outfits usually worn by mechanics and airport ground control – yes, the boiler suit is back. Raymond Hall/GC Images Made from hard-wearing cotton or denim, boiler suits are emerging as a modern multitasking wardrobe saviour, designed for almost every activity, from rummaging in a car’s engine and gardening to doing the school run and going to parties. In this age of Hollywood’s anti-sexual- assault campaign, Time’s Up, and as #MeToo sweeps social media, it seems the boiler suit is the perfect feminist fashion statement. Catwalking.com Maria Grazia Chiuri certainly agrees. The Dior designer behind the ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ T-shirt sent a denim boiler suit down the AW17 catwalk. Meanwhile, Stella McCartney showcased a baggy denim onesie at her S/S 18 Paris show. Virgile/Gamma-Rapho The high street isn’t far behind: MC Overalls opened a permanent store off London’s Carnaby Street last year, MiH’s boiler suit sold out when it hit stores last year, and brands including Agnès B, Donna Ida and Winser London all do versions of the loose-fitting all-in-one. What’s more, Spry founder Daisy Bridgewater’s cult £160 classic boiler suit, a serviceable blue cotton number inspired by mechanic’s overalls – as well as by her boiler-suit-wearing mother – has been snapped up by famous names including Rachel Johnson (who wore hers on Celebrity Big Brother), Thandie Newton, Alice Temperley, Sharleen Spiteri and Cathy St Germans, the director of the Port Eliot Festival. Alamy But they’re not just for fashion influencers or the A-list (or Frances McDormand’s character in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, who wears blue overalls for most of the film). YOU’s acting fashion editor Emily Dawes says all women need such stylish, hard-working clothes, advising: ‘Add heels for the office and a pair of statement earrings for evening. Layer it, adding a lace cami to dress it up, or dress it down with a striped tee.’ So why is this functional and body-covering all-in-one suddenly back in fashion? Pamela Church Gibson, reader in cultural and historical studies at the London College of Fashion, sees a link with feminism, from the women working in factories in the Second World War – made famous by the US morale-booster Rosie the Riveter – to the campaigners of the 70s. Time Life Pictures ‘Wearing a boiler suit is desexualising,’ says Pamela. ‘And there’s the freedom of movement. It’s not about being looked at, but being busy working.’ (Emily Weiss, founder of beauty brand Glossier recently dressed sales assistants at her London pop-up in roomy pink overalls.) Pamela adds: ‘The boiler suit is the ultimate practical garment – you can do anything in one.’ £160, Spry Workwear £265, MIH £295, Donna Ida £69.99, Mango £99, Winser London RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Rochelle Humes has launched a gorgeous new edit with Next Shop the YOU Magazine Instagram YOU picks the best new-in buys from M& S Popular in Fashion Laura Jackson has teamed up with Next for the chicest knitwear January 22, 2020 Holly Willoughby’ s birthday dress is another Zara bargain February 10, 2020 The Instagram-famous & Other Stories wool blazer is back in stock August 31, 2022 Lorraine just wore Emma Willis’ Next collection from head to toe March 17, 2020 The prettiest spring dresses under £100 March 1, 2022 Everyone is buying Holly’ s gorgeous gingham Oasis dress May 14, 2020 13 bargain dresses to buy in ASOS’ s extra 20 per cent June 10, 2020 This £20 H& M dress is set to be the social media June 26, 2020 Stacey Solomon x Primark is back for a third collection with July 20, 2020 Searches for this perfect heatwave summer top style are up 5000% August 10, 2020 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved