Fresh. Feminine. Functional. The trend sweeping the secret halls of style is the jumpsuit. Think of it as a onesie for grown-ups. Women that is; because it doesn’t matter how you dress a man in a jumpsuit, unless he’s jumping from a plane with a parachute attached to his back, the rule is: Guys. Please. Don’t.
For some months the fashion-forward have been popping up at flashlight worthy events in jumpsuits. Gwyneth Paltrow did it in a flesh toned Elie Saab on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as did Ellen Pompeo at The People’s Choice Awards. The two are excellent examples of just how tricky the jumpsuit can be. If going the snug route, it definitely shows off the shape, but it also highlights natural and healthy curves that, while a reality of a normal figure, are areas less confident women usually choose to hide. Pompeo’s Elie Saab is flattering to the mature and young alike, with its flowing lines that neither hug nor hide, but enhance the feminine form. 
Jane Fonda, always impeccable, shows how to do it in a sequined Zuhair Murad. But she has an edge when it comes to this style as she was around in the 70s when names like Bianca Jagger and Farrah Fawcett slithered into studio 54 in jumpsuits that were slashed to almost the navel, the waist elasticized or emphasized with a thick belt or twist of fabric, the legs billowing material. One shouldered or with a plunging V, the Seventies jumpsuit was sensuality personified. 
The newer version is much more casual during the day, blending denim with a loose, low waist, while evening introduces sophisticated, structured forms.
This is not an easy style to buy off the rack, and can be tricky to pull off, but with the number of appearances it has been making on the red carpet, on young and old alike, this trend has begun to slip from cutting edge to de rigueur for the leaders of style. What do you think – would you wear this? Do you prefer the retro, loose look of the 70s or the current more tailored style for night? Or would you prefer the free-form day version worn by Olivia Wilde?
Margaret Gardiner
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