How to style a jumpsuit: one piece, three occasions

The whole is something beside the parts. Aristotle, Metaphysics, book 8

To style a jumpsuit, treat it as a top and trousers that already match. Mark the waist, choose the shoe for the hem, and add one layer that ends above the hip or far below it.

Those three choices cover almost every case. This guide walks through them for work, for the weekend and for the evening, with the Masidas jumpsuits as examples.

Where the jumpsuit came from

The name is literal. The first jump suit was the one piece garment that parachutists wore to jump from a plane.

The idea of wearing it on the ground came from Florence. In 1920 an artist who signed himself Thayaht launched a one piece suit he called the TuTa, with help from his brother. He had its pattern printed in the city newspaper, La Nazione, so that anyone could sew one at home. Today the Uffizi Galleries list it among their works.

It was meant as plain clothing for every day. Florentine society took it up as a fad instead. In the 1930s Elsa Schiaparelli began designing jumpsuits for women, and during the Second World War women wore them for their usefulness.

That is still the appeal. A jumpsuit is one decision. The top and the trousers match because they are the same cloth.

One piece, cut to do the work of two.

How to style a jumpsuit for work

Choose a jumpsuit with a collar, and it already looks like a shirt tucked into trousers. Our sleeveless zip jumpsuit has a shirt collar, a zip front and two chest pockets. Its tapered legs are worn rolled at the ankle.

Sleeveless needs a layer in an office. Add a jacket that stops at the waist, so the line of the leg stays whole. The stand collar cropped jacket sits just below the waist, at the top of the hip. Finish with a low loafer, such as the pointed toe block heel loafers.

How to style a jumpsuit for the weekend

Denim is the easy one. Our flared denim jumpsuit is cotton denim with a button front, contrast stitching and flared legs. Its page says good stretch lets it move with you from the waist down.

A flared leg wants a heel under it. The hem should nearly touch the floor and hide most of the shoe. The block heel zip ankle boots do that, with a side zip and a rounded toe. Open one more button at the collar, and add nothing else.

How to style a jumpsuit for the evening

At night, change two things: the shoe and the bag. The page for the sleeveless zip jumpsuit says to add flat sandals by day or a heel at night. Carry a small structured bag, and leave the jacket at home.

For a dressier line, choose a wide leg. Our smocked waist wide leg jumpsuit reads as a dress from a distance and moves like trousers. In black or navy blue it suits a dinner or a party. The pebbled top handle flap bag is made to be carried by the handle to dinner.

What to wear over a jumpsuit

The rule is about length. A layer should end at the waist or fall well past the hip. A jacket that stops at mid hip cuts the body in half and hides the waist.

So the cropped jacket works, and so does a long line. Our longline lantern sleeve cardigan falls to mid calf. The open front trench coat is a long open front trench with side slits that let it move as you walk. Either one, worn open, frames the jumpsuit in a long column.

How a jumpsuit should fit

Length through the body matters most. If the torso is too short, the whole piece pulls. If it is too long, the waist sags. Measure from the top of your shoulder to the floor, and compare it with the length in the size table.

Here are the measurements of our two jumpsuits in size S, from their own pages, in inches.

The denim one is cut close and has good stretch. The zip one is cut with more room and ends at a rolled ankle. Our guide on how to measure yourself for clothes shows where to hold the tape.

Questions about jumpsuits

Can you wear a jumpsuit to a wedding?

Yes, if it is a dressy one. Choose a wide leg in a dark or rich color, and avoid white. Our guide to what to wear to a fall wedding covers the dress codes.

What shoes do you wear with a jumpsuit?

Match the shoe to the leg. A flared or wide leg takes a heel under the hem. A tapered or rolled leg takes a loafer, a flat sandal or a slim heel.

Can you wear a jumpsuit in winter?

Yes. Wear a fine knit under a sleeveless one, add boots and put a long coat on top.

Is a jumpsuit practical?

More than it looks. A front zip or a button front makes it quick to get in and out of, which is the usual worry.

Masidas sells knitwear, coats and dresses for women and men. See every style in women’s jumpsuits, and the layers in women’s coats and jackets. For another one piece answer, read sweater dress outfits for fall and winter.

Aristotle held that the whole is something beside the parts. He was not thinking of trousers, but it holds.