NYLON - August 2008 - (Page 72) ROMPER ROOM PHOTOGRAPHED BY JORGE CAMAROTTI the observer stylist: katharine erwin for katharineerwin.com. hair and makeup: min min ma for nars cosmetics and workgroup-ltd.com. model: janaina at new york models. romper by mayle, top by jean paul gaultier, headpiece by ellen christine. When I was in grammar school I loved two things: My peach colored ballet tutu and my acid-washed jean romper. Every Saturday as I was getting ready for dance class, I would put on my pink leotard and tights and slip the romper on over them. The denim one-piece—which was given to me by my mother because it was easy to get in and out of, but could be difficult when I suddenly needed to pee—became my uniform, and long after dance class was over, I wouldn’t dare take it off. As time went by, wearing the romper was no longer restricted to Saturdays: It slowly became an integral part of my childhood wardrobe, and from Sunday dinners to family outings, I wore it every chance I got. But as I grew older, I became disinterested in ballet, moved on up to the seventh grade, and started wearing Cross Colours (a hip-hop clothing brand that was popular for their bright hues and pie-chart logo). Soon enough, my beloved romper became a thing of the past; a distant memory of my recital days and youth. Rompers appeared in the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until around 1950 that they became popular. Mothers would outfit their children in them and would sometimes sport the one-pieces as leisurewear themselves. They became all the rage in the ’70s, but lost their following with young women by the ’80s; since then, they’ve pretty much only been fashionable with the toddler set. Still, like any trend, their time has now come to get recycled; and, to my joy, garments resembling my childhood favorite have been turning up in stores this season. The new crop of rompers, however, are much more stylish: They’re for that girl who knows how to take something that is considered to be juvenile, and make it her own. Wearing a onesie—especially since it’s not the easiest look to pull off—means you have to have some serious confidence, and with a slew of designers like Mayle, DKNY, Babyphat, and Deener updating the jean romper, it’s going to be hard to resist trying one out. Some are sleeveless, and some have intricate detailing; some are short shorts, while others are longer in length. They can be either buttoned or zipped-up, and the washes they come in are endless. But whether they are loose-fitting or hug the body, there is no better way to get noticed than to sport one. They’re cute, nostalgic, and fun to wear. I may not be in grammar school anymore or even take ballet classes, but I know I’ll be rocking a jean romper this summer like every day is Saturday. RAJNI LUCIENNE JACQUES http://workgroup-ltd.com http://katharineerwin.com
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