This week I bought a jumpsuit, or more accurately another jumpsuit. This was going to fill the denim-shaped gap in my overalls collection. Finding the right one has taken me several years.
As you probably know, jumpsuits have been mainstream fashion, appropriate for adults, for a while.
I have photos of me on my phone from ten years ago trying on a jumpsuit in a fitting room (message to a fashion friend: ‘Is this too similar to the one I already have?’). I wore a Marks & Spencer jumpsuit in my kitchen on my birthday. in the summer of 2016.
I have velvet ones, a drawstring one, and an indigo cotton one, but a denim jumpsuit is the holy grail (cool, iconic, just 70s enough in a sexy way) and it’s the hardest one to get right.
The selected candidate should not be stiff or bulky (a danger with denim), but also not too tight or tight. Like all jumpsuits, he must fit well in the torso and waist, skim the butt and have room in the legs.
Elegant casual: Emma Thompson’s khaki look with a Stella McCartney jumpsuit
Height Advantage: Kristin Scott Thomas’ Jumpsuit
This one, from Me + Em, although expensive at £250, (meandem.com) ticks all the boxes and has the advantage of having horizontal seams on the legs (sounds strange but gives it extra points of interest) and a belt that adds some arrogance.
I already have the full set of jumpsuits, but there’s always room for one more.
If this is starting to sound a little far-fetched, I apologize, but all I’m doing is making the most of what is, in my opinion, the superfood of fashion.
With a jumpsuit you get everything you could possibly need in one go: comfort, coverage, head-to-toe dressing, something you can wear to a party or at home that is glamorous and practical. If the proportions are right, a jumpsuit will be the most flattering thing you own, or that’s what I’ve always found. Still, I know there are plenty of skeptics out there, so why is my fashion happy place anathema to so many?
Maybe it’s because, thanks to lazy labeling, many confuse monkeys with monkeys, and monkeys are Dyno-Rod Man to monkeys, Pan’s People.
My other theory is that people assume they will make your butt look big (they don’t); that you have to be tall (actress Kristin Scott Thomas wears a jumpsuit and is 5 feet 6 inches tall); or flat chested (no, I give you Anneka Rice).
As for whether they are appropriate for a woman over 50, Scott Thomas is 63, and the only difference between my stepdaughter, my niece and I when it comes to jumpsuits is that his occasionally have stretch velvet gloves.
I like a half gathered waist or a belted cinched waist and all but one of my jumpsuits are long sleeve. I’m also not a fan of special occasion jumpsuits, for example backless, polka dot silk, because I think jumpsuits should be themselves and not pretend to be long dresses. And nowadays I try to stay away from black and choose khaki, denim or even cream.
Amanda Holden walks through London in a Reiss jumpsuit
With that in mind, here are six ways to wear a jumpsuit all year round:
1 Wear a denim jumpsuit unbuttoned to the sternum with a white and blue striped vest underneath and mid-heeled Western booties, or in warm weather elegant two-strap sandals. (Note: a vest, rather than a t-shirt, allows you to wear the jumpsuit tighter in the shoulders and arms.) Try Marks & Spencer for another good denim jumpsuit (£49.50, marksandspencer.com).
2 Alternatively, wear a denim jumpsuit, with the sleeves rolled up, with tan mid-heeled boots and chunky gold jewelry. Sezane’s Brooklyn jumpsuit (£160, sezane.com) is a tighter, sexier style.
3 A khaki viscose jumpsuit zipped open to bra level over a lace-trimmed layered vest and strappy gold or silver sandals will take you to a smart-casual party. Otherwise, opt for a wide-leg style with a V-neck, like Ghost’s Olivia jumpsuit (£169, johnlewis.com).
4 A corduroy jumpsuit, like Sezane’s terracotta all-in-one (£155), worn with a scarf and smart sneakers, is ideal for daytime wear in spring, including work. In winter, wear a shearling vest on top or a turtleneck underneath.
5 She still wears a velvet jumpsuit on cool spring nights, unbuttoned to the waist, with a gold vest underneath, bare legs and sandals.
6 In summer, wear a short-sleeved cotton jumpsuit in khaki or coconut brown (£180, reiss.com) with your legs up and sandals. Or try a pale linen jumpsuit with a contrast belt (£75, nrbyclothing.com) and silver heels.