Overalls for Men Are Happening, Big Time
Men’s Overalls Are Back—Thank You, Chris Pine
Gorpcore—fashion inspired by functional outdoor apparel—has been trending in menswear for several seasons. It’s inspired Prada’s nylon anoraks, Louis Vuitton’s hiking boots, and Junya Watanabe’s reflective-tape jackets, among dozens of other pieces that evoke a man-of-the-woods spirit without asking the wearer to ever step into mud. The most surprising element of this outdoorsy revival to emerge so far? Men’s overalls.
Birthed at the close of the 18th century, overalls were created as a cover-up for working men, first mass-produced by Levi Strauss a century later in 1890. In the 128 years since, the garment has retained its functional cachet as actual workwear while being appropriated in pop culture and fashion as an item for women and children. Rarely have famous men or famous designers advocated for a bib-front onesie for dudes—until now.
The men’s overalls renaissance started last week when Chris Pine was spotted at Heathrow Airport wearing a Carhartt version; he appeared to use the overalls’ bib pocket pragmatically to store his passport and travel documents. While the Internet debated the actor’s sartorial decision, overalls continued to mount their surge. Supreme’s next seasonal collaboration with The North Face, to be released this Thursday, April 5, includes overalls in metallic silver, yellow gold, and rose gold colors. The Fall 2018 men’s runways, too, were full of one-piece options for guys, from R13, White Mountaineering, and Walter Van Beirendonck. Street stylers, meanwhile, used the overall as a layering piece at Seoul Fashion Week.
Like all trends, this one could date back to Rihanna, who showed army-green overalls for men at her Spring 2018 Fenty x Puma runway show. Or maybe the overalls’ newfound popularity comes down to Chance the Rapper, who frequently wears the look to public appearances, though his take is decidedly less outdoorsy and more softboy. Wherever you trace the trend back to, it’s clear that men are going to be getting in the onesie game in 2018.
