It wouldn’t be a new season without a newly revived trend to cause much rolling of collective eyes and the swearing of eternal abstinence from said fashion suicide. After all, fashion has always been about provoking conversation and heated debate in men and women alike, without which we would all happily don our boot cut jeans, crisp white shirts and brown leather loafers year after year without complaint. And quite possibly die of ennui in the process.
Now call me perverse or just plain rebellious, but I often feel an affinity for these black sheep of the must-have lists, and in trying to crack the code of how to wear them without looking ridiculous I end up falling in love with the look.
This summer season and indeed into the next (and in fact in the last as well if you are fashion forward, which just means very quick off the mark in fashion speak) it is the jumpsuit’s turn to be misunderstood, scoffed at, and then passed off as another dreadful old fad that should never have been resurrected.
And in some guises this is undoubtedly true. You only have to look at the names we traditionally associate with the ‘all-in-one’ and you could easily be turned off. So many of them – playsuit, jumpsuit, or even romper – suggest frivolity and childhood, so it is no wonder that everyone is dismissing them as playground attire. And that’s without even going near its dreaded cousin the horrible overall or dungaree.
However I am feeling a definite nostalgia for this latest 70’s revival, helped along immensely by the Spanish term for such an item, ‘el mono’, which I think is so much better a description than the rest, not least because apart from signifying a one-pieced article of clothing it also means a monkey or what you call a lovely -looking person.
Because I think it can be a very glamorous look. Forget floral prints or gingham – think back to when they were big in the heyday of disco and were made of silk or jersey, and then you start to get an idea of something much more flowing and fluid. I have to say that denim can be a very good option too – but the bottom line is that grown up fabrics will create a more grownup look.
photo courtesy of www.style.com
Halston Jumpsuit Fall 2009
Now unfortunately as with so many difficult to wear trends there are some truly ghastly examples and frankly misinterpretations out there for which I have to say some designers have a lot to answer for. However in my quest for a really fabulous mono I have tried on so many bad ones that I now know exactly what you must avoid – and so here are the Top 3 do’s and don’ts for mono-buying;
- Be plain, Jane. Keep it really, really simple. Too much draping, over-the shoulder or about-the-waist gathering is creating too much fabric and therefore drawing too much attention to the top and middle half of your body, creating a lumpy turnip effect in the process. Plus need I say elasticized ankles are an absolute no-no. Go for long flowing or tapered legs instead. Channel some old-style glamour and sophistication, look for shoestring straps, a halter-neck, one shoulder or strapless shape, or choose soft but small ruffles on the shoulders or bust. As a general rule of thumb if you wouldn’t wear it as a top then you shouldn’t wear it when it is connected to your bottoms!
- Leave the garden at home. As with the cut, the fabric should be soft and definitely not tight or body-hugging. As for print, it really is best not to have any at all – any reference to daisies, checks or doing the hula is only perpetuating the playground metaphor. Keep these and other cute but girly prints to the beach where they belong and indeed can look fabulous – as with any hard-to-wear trend, fussiness is fashion victim.
- Turn it down. Now that you have a simple and smart silhouette going, let the fabric and the mere fact that you are actually bold enough to be wearing a one-piece out in public speak for itself. Apart from the possibility of nasty sweat marks showing up, darker colours work best – black, charcoal grey, deep blue or purple - or if you are really confident about making a statement there is always red, cream or white!
As for what shoes work best, this is actually quite a versatile area if you have the styling of your jumpsuit right. Depending on the occasion you can dress it up or down with strappy heels, chunky platforms, or sparkly or leather thongs. (Bet you didn’t think you’d be hearing the word versatile with jumpsuit!)
photo courtesy of www.style.com
Martin Grant Jumpsuit Spring 2009
So there you have it, plenty of ammunition to spring to the defence of the humble mono, and indeed to pick out your very own. And do you know what the best thing of all is? No more worrying about whether your top goes with your pants – because your top and your bottom are now one. Which I particularly like as a very Zen clothing concept and hence not such a bad part of the revival methinks.
So be stylish and be at one!
Rubi
