1940s
Initially designed for men, it wouldn’t be until women took jobs in the factories during WWII.

In 1942 Vera Maxwell,American sportswear designer, designed a cotton coverall uniform for world war II workers at the Sperry Gyroscope Corporation that was a forerunner of the jump suit.

Thousands of women participated not only on the home front making the planes but also as Air Force pilots and trainers, all wearing one-piece suits.
This image from the archives of LIFE magazine, which first appeared on July 19, 1943 Shirley Slade Pilot Trainee in Women’s Flying Training Detachment Sporting Pigtails GI Coveralls Posters.


During the wartime Rosie the Riveter, a fictional character who wore coveralls like these became the symbol of working American women and caused a fashion sensation of her own.