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I think I might have missed the boilersuit craze, and honestly, that’s fine by me because they just don’t flatter me at all. I don’t get the hype – even when they don’t look terribly bad, they often make people resemble a character from a video game.
And before anyone starts getting upset like last time when I critiqued leggings as everyday wear, let me clarify: I’m not judging people who wear boilersuits, just the outfits themselves. If you cut a boilersuit in half, you’d end up with a cropped denim jacket and high-rise, relaxed-fit, elasticated Mom jeans, both of which aren’t particularly exciting fashion choices.
Boilersuits seem to be designed to emphasize everything you’d rather not and hide everything else in stiff, thick material. They were originally made for practical workwear purposes for people needing durable clothing. So, in essence, they are meant as functional outfits, not fashion statements, similar to medical scrubs or chef apparel. (Though, Crocs did prove some practical clothing items can become trendy.)
It’s important to distinguish between boilersuits and jumpsuits. I actually like jumpsuits; they can be quite chic and versatile, available in various materials like cotton or silk. But a boilersuit is not a jumpsuit, and here’s why: usually made from tough fabric, they don’t drape gracefully but rather sit awkwardly, almost like wearing a cardboard box. They might have unflattering elastic cuffs and waistbands that are best forgotten.
Why are we taking fashion cues from clothes designed for heavy manual labor that most of us don’t do? What’s this fascination with looking like a tradesperson when you don’t have to?
Sure, boilersuits are easy—you just throw them on without worrying about matching tops and bottoms, much like a one-piece pajama. But the style itself is puzzling. I’ve seen high street boilersuits with shapes that don’t even look appealing on mannequins. If it doesn’t look good on a display model, it’s not going to flatter me.
During my “Ruth Tries Trends” experiment, I went bold on the color, maybe too bold. I should’ve picked a bigger size, but my choice seemed to represent most high street options.
When I walked into the kitchen, my husband joked about what I came to fix. His smile faded when he saw my leopard print stilettos. He might have been considering an escape plan, thinking I’d committed a fashion crime.
“Let me take some photos to prove how ridiculous this trend is,” I told him. He suggested I pose on a digger, but I declined, not wanting to draw attention dressed in bubblegum pink and leopard heels, especially since the builders were still around. They already find me quirky; I fed chickens in a lab coat recently because I couldn’t locate my robe.
So, who wears boilersuits these days? Certainly not plumbers or builders—they usually stick to jeans and sweatshirts, if they turn up. The suit didn’t score high in appearance or credibility. The pink one I tried had good cuffs and thankfully no front zip. Despite being easy to wear, if it fits right, there’s a sense of discomfort from the thick fabric and an unflattering fit.
In conclusion, boilersuits aren’t for me. Unless someone designs one from lightweight fabric with a flattering fit and no uncomfortable seams, I’ll stick to what I know works, like jumpsuits. The boilersuit I tried is fortunately no longer available.