Dungarees

If you follow my webstore www.ohsofickle.com.sg you'd realize i've been bringing in a lot of dungarees!

Evelyn Birch wrote an article on Dungarees for Ohsofickle to share it with ya'll! :)

For many fashionistas, photos from the final pre-noughties decade are either cut up and flushed away or hidden in a shoebox at the back of the wardrobe. From the top of our scrunchie and butterfly-clipped heads to the tips of our jelly shoe covered toes, we can all agree that the 90s were a fashion disaster – in fact, the sole redeeming feature was the absence of the perm.

Yet one trend managed to divide opinions for the ten year period, with preppies and jocks alike clamouring for a piece of the action. Dungarees were for those who wished to add a little je ne sais quoi to their regular jeans and were incredibly versatile, being stylish enough for a night on the tiles whilst doubling up as kicking back leisure wear for a picnic in the park.

Unfortunately, without paying a great deal of attention to accessories there was a very real chance of the denim jumpsuit looking a little, well, lumpy and shapeless. It is hardly surprising that for any one person who remembers the piece fondly, five more will shudder and hide their yearbooks under the mattress.

Now, in the year 2013, the humble dungaree has made its comeback. While many will hear echoes of Come on Eileen and cower in fear, some of fashion’s first ladies have dared to bring back the two strapped jumpsuit with surprisingly pleasing results.

Once they made their way to Britain, they were adopted as the uniform of miners, agricultural workers and slaves – essentially becoming a symbol of the poorer workers in society. Yet when the First World War arrived they gained a boost in status, with the United States Navy adapting them to become a utility uniform and female factory workers styling theirs with scarves and patches.

It was not until the 1960s that dungarees began their flirtation with the fashion industry, yet since then they have appeared frequently – and not simply on reruns of the Rednex rendition of Cotton Eye Joe.

Now that dungarees have one more returned to grace the catwalk, fashion-conscious women everywhere face the challenge of accessorising in a way which does not hark back to the 90s – so teaming with shoes which light up or crimping your hair is a big no-no. Instead, try emulating fashion’s darling Alexa Chung, who wears her dungarees baggy with a Shakespearian ruffled blouse and silver peep-toe platforms.

Alternatively, take inspiration from the playsuit craze and buy cut-off dungarees to show off your legs. After all, it is summer! Accessorise with a slim jewelled belt to accentuate your waist, switching between flip flops and strappy sandals as the scorching afternoon makes way for a balmy evening. If you dare to bear, a simple bright coloured bikini top underneath will suffice, but for those who prefer to cover up a blouse or short sleeved shirt in your pick of the season’s colours will round off the look nicely. The return of the dungaree to magazine covers may be a bit of a shock to some, but like any item of clothing it has largely been sinned against rather than being a sinner in its own right. 

Grab your credit card, shop for your favourite style and accessories and give the controversial look a chance! In paying by card you can always return the item easily if you decide the look is not for you or purchase a few different styles to try when you get home with the rest of your wardrobe. Paying by card gives you a little more flexibility when out shopping to be a bit creative with your choices.

OK, yes, many of you reading this will still be very dubious about making dungarees look good. It is natural to feel an element of trepidation about a fashion trend which has received so much bad press and yo-yoed in and out of style for half a century now. Yet this has happened to many styles – the mini-skirt, platform shoes, leather trousers… I could go on. 

Essentially, the key to making any look work on you is customisation, and denim is one of the easiest fabrics to dress up (or down).

Distressing fabric is quick, easy and relatively pain free – simply place the area you wish to customise over a sharp point such as the corner of a table and go crazy with the sandpaper. Lashings of bleach to fade out certain areas will also add a unique look to your dungarees, while adding patches ensures that with a little unpicking your customisation can be an ongoing project.

Embracing new trends is all part of the rollercoaster that is fashion, and giving trends a chance to redeem themselves can often leave you with a whole new favourite outfit. However, if the worst comes to the worst, perhaps more room can be made in that 90s shoebox of horror…