Onesie (jumpsuit)

A modern adult size onesie.

Onesie /ˈwʌnzi/ was originally a term for an infant bodysuit, but in the 2000s has become a commonly used word for loose-fitting casual jumpsuits for adults, made of knit cotton (as used in sweatshirts), fleece, or chenille. They are mostly intended as loungewear or sleepwear, but have gained significant popularity as stylish street fashion. In the UK, the onesie became very popular during the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Adult onesie fad

The product was initially conceptualized and marketed by entrepreneur and musician, Steve Pandi; originally intended as a gimmick his rock band would wear during shows. Being the first and for some time the only vendor of the popular onesie, his company JumpinJammerz quickly grew and began to appear on television as early as 2000 on Oxygen TV's "Pajama Party" television show.

Adult onesies quickly infiltrate pop-culture in the U.S.

Beginning in February 2001, onesies began regularly appearing on MadTV, CSI: Las Vegas. In 2007 the company's adult onesie was a popular gift among celebrities when JumpinJammerz was included in the 2007 Academy Awards (Oscars) and Emmy Awards gifting events. By 2008 other companies began to replicate the onesie, again feeding into the craze. In 2009 a mix of onesies from different onesie producers appeared in a Saturday Night Live skit with James Franco.

European scene

The European market also embraced the onesies. A common brand is OnePiece of Norway, which started up in 2007 at its domestic market and quickly spread to other parts of Europe, most notably the rest of Scandinavia and the United Kingdom in the following years.

Adult onesie popularity peaks in 2011-2012

By 2011 it was clear that the onesie began to transform from novelty to a worldwide apparel craze, beginning in January 2011, when Ryan Gosling appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and gave the entire audience ccomplementary onesies. That same day, "Jumpin Jammerz" became the #1 search term on Google in the USA. In 2011, Gosling's popularity began to increase rapidly and he was nominated for a Golden Globe and appeared in three mainstream movies, further fueling the onesie fashion craze. OnePiece opened flagship stores in a number of European national capitals.

Macklemore

In 2012, hip-hop recording artist Macklemore referenced onesie pajamas in the lyrics for his wildly popular song, "Thrift Shop", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, sold 7,000,000 albums in the United States alone, then reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. In a music video released for the song on August 29, 2012, Macklemore wears a JumpinJammerz "Batman" onesie. As of May 5, 2015, the video is the site's 18th most-watched video. In 2014 the onesie-wearing rap sensation won two Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Thrift Shop is the second independent song in history to achieve the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 20 years after Lisa Loeb achieved comparable success.

Etymology

The term "onesie" is a brand name for infant bodysuits that is owned by the Gerber corporation, and the term is used generically for infant bodysuits in the US. There is little in common between the infant and adult onesie: the former is sleeveless and legless and snaps or buttons at the crotch. In 2008, when casual jumpsuits became increasingly popular, the press started discrediting them as "adult onesies," and the name seems to have eroded to a generic word.

See also

• Siren suit – The 1940s precursor to the Onesie.
• Union suit – One-piece underwear invented during the mid-19th century and worn by cowboys and American Civil War soldiers.
• Kigurumi – Japanese suits which sometimes can have a similar look.