Winston Churchill’s PR man labelled them siren suits, your local plumber calls them boiler suits, sales girls refer to them as jump suits, your grandad might think they are combs. Whatever label they eventually end up with, the all in one suit looks like being with us in force at least through next spring.
The generic term workwear is being applied to these suits together with dungarees and track suit inspired trousers and tops. They are not new, dungarees as fashion garments have been with us for a couple of years, and men’s wear designer Tom Gilbey is famous for his men’s couture designs based on the track suit image. But Paris designers featured some jump suits in their collections and bolder manufacturers are producing them in large runs now.
ICI Fibres, realising that this workwear is an easy going garment that needs fabric which offers hard wear and minimum care, are going to launch a vigorous promotion for unisex workwear for spring. They have commissioned Paul Howie to design a range of suits and two pieces which will be sold through Howie’s shops in Fulham Road and South Audley Street London as well as Take 6, Top Shop and other outlets.
The suits will all be in blends of Terylene, Crimplene, and Bri-Nylon together with some cotton. Colours will be in bold primary tones as well as the traditional overall colours. There will also be some towelling blends in red, blue, and yellow stripes.
TOP: (girl) grey/white Terylene and cotton dungarees. Yellow Bri-nylon cire jacket. (Man) blue Terylene and cotton suit with drawstring waist.
BOTTOM: (girl) red, yellow, and blue stripe jump suit in Terylene and cotton terry towelling. (Man) blue Terylene and cotton jump suit with long zip and pocket flaps on breast and arm.
