Jump! For my love…..a.k.a The Almighty Jumpsuit blog

Jumpsuits are one of the great dividers of the fashion world. It seems many designers and women are prepared to give them a whirl every few years, but the fashion cognoscenti [and the fug girls] would have you believe they are akin to crimplene, camel-toe, tights with sandals or VPL in the no-no stakes. It’s understandable given the occasional jumpsuit faux pas committed by the likes of Anneka Rice in the Eighties and plenty of badly made nylon numbers which permeated every naff catalogue in the mid- Seventies. And the propensity to the aforementioned camel-toe and VPL if you pick the wrong one.

However, a jumpsuit can be a truly beautiful thing. Not sure? Let me convince you……

The obvious place to start with me would be Mrs Gale (right) and Mrs Peel in The Avengers. Theirs are probably more of a catsuit than a jumpsuit (I’m not sure there’s a precise differentiation, but I’d say the width of the leg has something to do with it) but it’s probably where my own love of the mighty jumpsuit began. In fact, no, perhaps it was actually the adorable Glynis Barber in Blakes 7 (see left and below, that was the best image I could find….honest!). Anyway, it’s always been something of a sci-fi staple. If you’re being generous with the folks behind [arf arf] all these mighty decisions you could say it was for practicality, ease of movement and….hey, who can say what we’ll be wearing in the far distant future, out in space? [Well, if we are wearing jumpsuits, let's just hope they invent an easier way of popping to the loo in one!] However, if you’re being a cynical feminist…..then it’s pretty much all about the arse isn’t it?

Arse! Girls! Tarrant!

Cough. Anyway, back to Mrs Peel. Now, much as I would love to own any of her catsuits (either original or Avengerswear ones), I really cannot get on board with the Emmapeelers. And you don’t know how hard it is for me to type Emmapeeler instead of Emmapeelpants. I’ve had to retype about five times now. The Emmapeelers (gahhhhhh, please, fingers, start working for me!) were the stretch jersey panelled colour all-in-ones she favoured in her vibrant colour era (1967-ish). Unfortunately, they were also demons for VPL and camel toe and Mrs Peel clearly wasn’t the type of loose woman to wear a thong (Was anyone at the time? I would imagine not.).

No, the type I prefer are the John Bates-era beauties. Bates wasn’t at all fond of the hard, leather look of Mrs Gale and neither was Diana Rigg. So when he came on board mid-way through the first Peel-season, he designed something in between the Galers and the Peelers using stretch black jerseys and panels of PVC (to keep those dirty old men at home happy!).

But…..but, my absolute favourite isn’t even one of these. It’s the black and white crepe jumpsuit she wore all too briefly in The Danger Makers. Now this one I do have a hope in hell of finding some day, because it was part of the Avengerswear collection Bates produced.

This is definitely more of a jumpsuit, and isn’t it heavenly? It’s everything that’s right about jumpsuits. Plunging neckline, nicely flared legs and the important, vulnerable section is black….hiding the multitude of sins which jumpsuits are normally gleefully happy to show off!

Of course, the jumpsuit was not a Sixties invention. Back in the Thirties, some fashionable ladies wore playsuits for leisure or lounge-wear. Usually made from silk or satin, and printed in glorious art deco patterns, they were widely flared in the leg and resembled a long dress to the casual observer. The more form-fitting ‘catsuit’ style emerged later on in the Fifties with the increased popularity of casualwear for women. These tended to be very fitted in the waist with blouson bust and hips, and usually sported a more tapered leg. They were never quite high fashion though, remaining the preserve of Hollywood starlets and teenagers in the United States.

It was the Sixties which brought them to the high fashion table. In a decade where practically every inch of your legs was on display by 1967, even in Paris, it’s not surprising that women in trousers swiftly led to the emergence of the catsuit as acceptable day or evening wear for respectable women the world over. In fact, it was probably rather liberating for those who were tired of the mini or found that it didn’t flatter their shape. It also gave greater scope, in sheer yardage, for the removal of fabric at strategic points. It was easier to show your back or ribs without feeling like you were completely naked.

Left: Cardin mesh catsuit Center: Obligatory Catwoman photo. Julie Newmar version, of course! Right: Sylvie Vartan. French chanteuse and spangly catsuit wearer extraordinaire. Below: My solitary Sixties Varon jumpsuit with lace midriff

Of course, the Sixties moved into the Seventies and a new-found passion for the styles and sihouettes of the Thirties and Forties (courtesy of people like Barbara Hulanicki at Biba and Ossie Clark). The catsuit was not thrown on the scrapheap as the mini had been, it was simply remodelled to resemble those playsuits of the earlier decades. The flared legs and skin tight bodies suited the glam rock movement perfectly and, for the first time outside of industry or military, men started to wear them as well. Mainly for stage, but I like to think of a few men up and down the country donning their Bowie-esque jumpsuit for a night down the local disco.

Left: Beautiful Bowie. Dontcha just want to eat him up?? Right: For women they were an alternative to the ubiquitous hostess dress, as we can see in this John Bates for Jean Varon palazzo jumpsuit from my personal collection.

Ahhhh, yes, disco. The new-found love of spandex, aerobics and cheesy sci-fi meant that once again, in the late Seventies and early Eighties, skin tight catsuits were back for those who could bear to bare. And still yet they would not retreat into fashion purgatory, thanks to the Eighties-does-Fifties revival. There was also a propensity to boiler suits, courtesy of the New Romantic obsession with ever-changing inspirations, which took military and industrial uniforms and brought them into the fashion world.

With the advent of lycra and the emerging acid house/rave scenes of the late Eighties/early Nineties, designers such as Pam Hogg returned to the skin-tight catsuits of their sci-fi fantasy heroes. Day-glo colours abounded, and lycra was an infinitely better fabric for such purposes (no Emma Peel-style sagging this time around!).

Left and right: Pam Hogg. Damn, that woman is a genius and I’m not sure I could love her any more than I already do.

Now this summer, the jumpsuit appears to be making something of a comeback. The Fug Girls might have something to say about you if you’re wearing one but, honestly, who cares? Just make sure you pick the right one. Halter necks are always good (although please make sure it’s firmly secured, I once had a horrendous jumpsuit experience where my ex-boyfriend rolled up to me at an event, patted me on the back of the neck and my flimsily fastened halterneck disconnected and one side fell down. Thankfully I managed to save myself in time that no one else could see but it did give my ex the opportunity to quip wistfully “well you’ve still got great tits”. Charming, eh?).

The Stella McCartney designed floral palazzo jumpsuit is the biggest jumpsuit story of the summer, beautifully printed in a Thirties floral pattern and certainly channelling that glamorous playsuit look. I don’t understand why it’s been ‘fugged’ twice now, maybe it’s not everyone’s cuppa but seriously, no camel toe, all your bits are covered up and it’s in a beautiful fabric. They wouldn’t be fugging you if it was a top and trousers would they?

If you’re not quite up to bold florals and flimsy chiffons, then Vintage-a-Peel has got a couple of gorgeous alternatives. The Biba horse-racing print halterneck is absolutely heavenly (if you’re lucky enough to be tiny sized) with those flattering flared legs, halter neck cut and beautiful (but not overwhelming) print. Or if you’re not quite ready for printed jumpsuits…there’s always the stunning plunge neck Paul Nicholas moss crepe beauty (with naughty Celia Birtwell rip-off printed chiffon) I’ve just listed. I bought this a while ago, for myself, but must face facts that it is simply too long in the leg for little ol’ me and I must let it go, so it can be free to be worn by someone leggier (or more comfortable in 4 inch heels) than I.