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Why overalls for men are back … big time

The difficulty is knowing what to wear underneath the overalls.

The difficulty is knowing what to wear underneath the overalls. Photo: Instagram

I love fashion pronouncements. One random thing can happen, like Rihanna forgets to wear pants, and the collective fashion media jump on it like it is a considered, large-scale, legitimate trend.

One of my favourites on Twitter last week was: “Why it’s suddenly cool to dress like a ghost.”

That got me thinking, “Hmm, like the truly terrifying Samara in The Ring, or like Casper?”

Apart from the utter stupidity of it, it’s hard to dress like a ghost – the time in hair and makeup would be prohibitive, and I don’t think it’s entirely appropriate to put your co-workers through it from a human resources perspective.

My other favourite this week was: “Why Overalls For Men are Back, Big Time.”

Are they really?  Apparently the men’s overalls trend was kick-started by actor Chris Pine, who was spotted at Heathrow Airport wearing a pair by the cool street brand Carhartt.

chris pine overalls

‘I’ve seen him look better.’ Photo: Twitter

He sort of pulled it off – they were an odd mustard colour, very slim around the hips and he put a sort of greyish, long-sleeved T-shirt under them.

He has a great physique so he got in under the wire, but goodness knows I’ve seen him look better. Overalls are the consummate worker’s outfit, the true grit, outdoor man in his Levi Strauss denim onesie and a plaid shirt.

I think the difficult decision is what to put under them if you’re not out chopping wood or catchin’ some varmint.

If there’s a barn behind you, you might just pull it off.

There are so many ways it could go horribly wrong, especially if you’re not packing six-pack abs. What do you put under it? A plaid shirt and you’re one step away from a MAGA cap.

A long-sleeved stripe T-shirt and you’re Ronald McDonald. Nothing and you’re either Jethro from the Beverly Hillbilly’s or a Chippendale dancer.

The runways are showing more high-tech, designer versions that put more of a modern spin on the idea of an overall, and some of the more fashion-forward street-stylers have been spotted wearing more tailored versions layered under coats and parkas, which is a dapper look, with its origins in the ski fields.

Ultra-hip brand Supreme have just released a collaboration with The North Face which features overalls in metallic silvers and golds, and it makes sense that the look should move into the sport/performance wear area rather than barn dances.

overalls as fashion item

The runways are showing more high-tech, designer versions. Photo: Getty

However, I did spot a simple denim pair on the weekend at Top Man, and my 23-year-old son gave them a nod and said: “Yeah, overalls, they’re a thing, not bad”.

I was floored. This coming from a young man who told me when he was about 13 that he didn’t like wearing trousers, or jeans, which proved to be quite the challenge for a couple of years.

I couldn’t let him leave the house unless it was a trip to the beach.

Maybe onesies were the answer all along and my bias blinded me. Bring it on! Prince George has already excelled in the onesie/bloomer area, so let’s hope he rocks a denim version on his next Royal visit.

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