When jumpsuits originally came into play as an item of clothing they were used solely by those who fell from high places. Being as skydiving is generally done by jumping out of something from a high altitude, they were given the not-so-creative title of a “jump suit”. It all makes perfect sense once one knows the history of these one piece garments. Eventually, the term “jumpsuit” was adopted for every garment that was one piece and covered the entire torso, and at least part of the legs and arms.
During the early 1960s jumpsuits started to crop up everywhere as a part of everyday fashion. Everyone from movie stars to musicians to housewives and children were wearing jumpsuits. They were as common then as jeans and a t-shirt are now. Materials were vast and you’d see silk and satin jumpsuits, leather and denim jumpsuits, and even some knitted jumpsuits. Regardless of the simple base design of these one piece ensembles, they really are extraordinarily versatile when it comes to designers putting their own personal stamp on them. In fact, especially in the cases of leather and denim jumpsuits, any person can take a plain piece and unleash their own creativity on it until it’s something unique.
Jumpsuits hit their peak in the 70s and everyone will recall that they were worn by everyone and celebrities were at the forefront of this cavalcade. Probably, the most recognized and remembered jumpsuits from the 70s both belonged to Elvis – his white and gold lamé jumpsuit and the bejewelled jumpsuit with gold chains and eagles. Jumpsuits were still being worn into the 80s, but they really were mostly the forte of celebrities at this point, such as the ones worn by David Bowie. They declined as regular fashion as the 80s wore on, and they were rarely seen in the 90s.
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