Fashion Forward Brits Declare Love for the Onesie– Not just for Babies

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You’ve probably heard of snuggies and maybe even the slanket but have you heard of the latest trend sweeping London?

Fashionistas Teresa of Independent Travel Help and Travel Blogger of the Year Becki of Backpacker Becki  model their Primark onesies.

Adults onesies– why should babies have all the fun?

When I first saw adult onesies at London’s Primark store back in October, I didn’t pay much attention to them– I assumed they were just seasonal Halloween costumes, soon to be cleared out with the passing of the holiday.  But when I returned to Primark in November, instead of finding a few leftover onesies on the clearance racks, the onesies had somehow multiplied– there were racks and racks of full-size adult onesies everywhere.

What was up with all the onesies?

photo via OnePiece

photo via Onepiece

A little googling and I learned that adult onesies are part of a trend started by a few Norwegian guys with way too much time on their hands. While nursing a hangover in hoodies and jogging pants, Knut, Thomas and Henrik bemoaned the tight waistbands of their jogging pants as being too restrictive for a proper “chill out”.  Necessity being the mother of invention, they sewed their hoodies to their sweatpants, got rid of those pesky waistbands, and slapped on a zipper for easy ingress and egress.  The OnePiece jumpsuit was born.

As the trend hit the UK, those fashion forward Brits with their proclivity for “fancy dress” added their own twist– bunny ears and zebra stripes.  Soon full-grown adults everywhere were able to proudly show off their favorite animal, monster, fruit or superhero with their very own onesie.

Fashion editors have been raving about pajamas as day wear for several seasons now.

At Primark, adult onesies come in all sorts of fashion-friendly designs like frogs, strawberries and even a season-appropriate Christmas pudding.  At only £12 a onesie, you can afford to change your look every day of the week.

Helpfully, Primark provides clear labels on their adult onesies, saving you the embarrassment of wearing a pig onesie when you really meant to wear a pug onesie.

Most of the adult onesies have cuffed hems to make the transition from bedroom to day wear a snap (just throw on some edgy heels), you can also find some cute indoor-only versions with matching feet.

Pre-shop your Onesies by ogling these fab styles online at Asos.

Now that you’ve got your onesie, where do you show it off?

If you don’t live in the UK, you may feel awkward about wearing your onesie out for the first time.  That’s understandable, it can be hard to be ahead of the curve on a new trend.  Some tips to get started:

• New trends are catnip for street photographers.  Mix and match your onesie with a thrift store beret and an armful of bangles and wait for those shutters to fly!
• Bring some onesies back for your friends and wear them out together at your city’s hippest bar.  Revel in your success as your fellow hipsters sulk, realizing their socks-with-sandals and handlebar mustaches are now so passé.
• Improve office morale by wearing your onesie to work and making everyone else feel more secure about their own jobs!  Work from home?  No worries, just turn on your webcam when you have your next meeting– show your flair and prove those people wrong who secretly think you sit around in the same sweatpants all day long.

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Do you have an adult onesie?  Tell us about your favorite styles in the comments below!

Want to read more London posts?  Start here:
A walk through the Harry Potter gift shop at Platform 9 3/4, London
Why this New Yorker loves the London Underground (and my picks from the London Transport Museum Shop)
Big Ben, the British Flag and a Telephone Box:  Why we love British Kitsch
I got it at Primani, dahling.  Why frugal tourists love London’s Primark.

Souvenir Shopping Details:
Primark, London (various locations)
Online:  Onepiece and Asos

Special thanks to these fantastic travel bloggers for sharing their onesie photos– be sure and check out their sites!
Becki (just awarded Travel Blogger of year 2013) of Backpacker Becki, a beautifully written and always entertaining blog about Becki’s adventures as a solo female traveler.
Teresa of Independent Travel Help, a blog dedicated to helping women over 35 start their adventures, but fun and helpful for any demographic.

All photos by Souvenir Finder except #1 courtesy of Backpacker Becki and Independent Travel Help and OnePiece photos via Onepiece, online shopping onesie photos via Asos.

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