Onesie (jumpsuit)

A modern adult size onesie.

Onesie /ˈwʌnzi/ in the 2000s has become a commonly used word for loose-fitting casual jumpsuits for adults,[1] 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 streetwear. In the UK and Australia, the onesie became very popular during the late 2000s and early 2010s as a street fashion.[2]

Onesie was originally a term for an infant bodysuit,[1] probably derived from Onesies, which is a registered trademark for a certain range of infants' clothes.

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.[3] 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.[4]

Adult onesies in the U.S

Beginning in February 2001, onesies began regularly appearing on MadTV[5] and 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)[6][7] and Emmy Awards[8] 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.[9]

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.[10]

Adult onesies journey to popularity

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 complementary onesies.[11] That same day, "Jumpin Jammerz" became the #1 search term on Google in the USA.[12] 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",[13] 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,[14] Ireland,[15] Canada,[16] France,[17] Denmark,[18] Netherlands,[19] Australia[20] and New Zealand.[21] 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.[22] In 2014 the onesie-wearing rap sensation won two Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.[23] 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.[24]

Etymology

The term "onesies" (with an s at the end) 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 onesies and an adult onesie: the former is usually 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,"[25] and the name seems to have eroded to a generic word, dropping the final s in the process.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Oxford Dictionaries
  2. ↑ Onesie phenomenon
  3. ↑ "In November, 2011, Jumpin Jammerz celebrates 14 years online.".
  4. ↑ Party on YouTube
  5. ↑ Stuart wearing JumpinJammerzs' Onesie in 2001 skit on YouTube
  6. ↑ 2007 Oscars coverage from LAist
  7. ↑ StyleList.com noting 2007 Oscars grab bag and general popularity of the brand in Hollywood
  8. ↑ Splash Magazine covering 2007 Emmy Awards
  9. ↑ "Saturday Night Live skit with James Franco with various onesie pajamas.".
  10. ↑ Daily Mail
  11. ↑ "Ryan Gosling gifts JumpinJammerz onesies to Ellen Degeneres show audience".
  12. ↑ http://www.racked.com/2011/1/7/7777387/jumpin-jammerz-is-the-1-trending-search-on-google-right-now JumpinJammerz hits #1 in Google Trends following Ryan Gosling on Ellen
  13. ↑ Lyrics to "Thrift Shop"
  14. ↑ Official United Kingdom Music Charts
  15. ↑ "Ireland Official Music Charts".
  16. ↑ "American Billboard 100 Charts".
  17. ↑ "France's Music Charts".
  18. ↑ "Denmark Music Charts".
  19. ↑ "Netherlands Top Music Charts".
  20. ↑ "Australian Music Charts".
  21. ↑ "New Zealand Music Charts".
  22. ↑ "Most Viewed Videos of All Time (Over 100 million views)". YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2014: Full Nominations List". Billboard. 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  24. ↑ "Macklemore breaks a 20 year record as an independent artist.".
  25. ↑ Adult Onesies: The Dress Like A Toddler Trend Claims Further Victims. Blog entry in The Fashion Police dated 2008-09-08. Accessed 2013-03-09.
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