What is the appeal of rompers? The original rompers were designed as playclothes for infants and toddlers as a time when the standard clothing for children under the age of five years was dresses. Like dresses, rompers were one-piece, which was desirable for mothers who believed that children could be "spoiled" by too much handling. Compared with ankle-length skirts worn by young walkers, rompers allowed more freedom of movement. That's fine, but we now have many other options, and we no longer believe that babies are harmed by being handled in the process of getting dressed. But the image of romper as a childish style persisted, and has influenced adult casual wear.
Rompers, jumpsuits, overalls and the like all have a few advantages that make them attractive enough to appear in the fashion pages on a regular basis. They also have aesthetic and practical drawbacks that each generation seems destined to rediscover. To begin with the advantages:
Rompers, jumpsuits, overalls and the like all have a few advantages that make them attractive enough to appear in the fashion pages on a regular basis. They also have aesthetic and practical drawbacks that each generation seems destined to rediscover. To begin with the advantages:
First, one-piece dressing is appealing for those situations when time is of the essence. For example, when your lover's spouse arrives home unexpectedly, being able to step into your romper and zip it up before they reach the bedroom is literally a lifesaver. The second possible reason for its popularity is the romper's association with childhood, which renders it irresistible to consumers wishing to cultivate an air of childlike playfulness. This may be innocent or otherwise; there is an unfortunate tendency in adult fashion to adopt juvenile styles in a sexualized manner. Note that both of these reasons apply equally to all the known varieties of humans and have nothing to do with gender identity or expression, strictly speaking.
There are also ungendered reasons to reject the rompers.
First, whatever time is saved in dressing/undressing is made up in the bathroom. This has already been noted by many of the cleverer meme-ists on the internet. This has also been discovered by generations of parents who failed to get their offspring out of their rompers and onto the potty in time. Live and learn.
Second, for those of us who are taller than average, the vertical bifurcation of the romper is excruciating. Personally, I cannot look at the RompHim (TM) without thinking "ouch". There are ways to avoid this fitting issue, of course. They are usually ignored by manufacturers.
Third, separates are more versatile than one-piece garments. For the economically inclined, a matching pair of shorts and a shirt will get more use than a romper, because they can be combined with other tops and bottoms. Not everyone is as cheap as I am, of course, especially anyone ready to drop a few hundred dollars on a romper. Or a thousand or so.
Personally, I believe in the Theory of Generational Sartorial Darwinism (Copyright, Jo Paoletti). Your parents may tell you that linen wrinkles, or that rompers are literally a pain in the ass, but each generation must learn these lessons on their own. So buy a romper, or a RompHer, or a RompHim, and enjoy.
What should not be done is judging someone else's clothing based on the wearer's age, sex, race, body type or other personal characteristics. I will explain why in Part 4.
There are also ungendered reasons to reject the rompers.
First, whatever time is saved in dressing/undressing is made up in the bathroom. This has already been noted by many of the cleverer meme-ists on the internet. This has also been discovered by generations of parents who failed to get their offspring out of their rompers and onto the potty in time. Live and learn.
Second, for those of us who are taller than average, the vertical bifurcation of the romper is excruciating. Personally, I cannot look at the RompHim (TM) without thinking "ouch". There are ways to avoid this fitting issue, of course. They are usually ignored by manufacturers.
Third, separates are more versatile than one-piece garments. For the economically inclined, a matching pair of shorts and a shirt will get more use than a romper, because they can be combined with other tops and bottoms. Not everyone is as cheap as I am, of course, especially anyone ready to drop a few hundred dollars on a romper. Or a thousand or so.
Personally, I believe in the Theory of Generational Sartorial Darwinism (Copyright, Jo Paoletti). Your parents may tell you that linen wrinkles, or that rompers are literally a pain in the ass, but each generation must learn these lessons on their own. So buy a romper, or a RompHer, or a RompHim, and enjoy.
What should not be done is judging someone else's clothing based on the wearer's age, sex, race, body type or other personal characteristics. I will explain why in Part 4.
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