Wardrobe Malfunction

God help us, it’s back

Comments (0) By Clay McNear Thursday, Sep 4 2008

Oprah. Elvis. Charlie’s Angels. Prison inmates. Fashion victims all, thanks to the jumpsuit. We’d tease and taunt these dinos and ne’er-do-wells, but, God help us, the vexing garment seems to be making a comeback.

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Rihanna was recently seen wearing a floral-print number. Maggie Gyllenhaal wore one to The Dark Knight première. The flowy attire took London by storm this summer after tony tastemakers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen flogged it on the catwalk. And here at home, Phoenix Art Museum is rubberstamping the return of the romper with its “One for All, and All for One: The Jumpsuit” exhibit.

Exploring the apparel’s “useful practicality,” “sex appeal” (questionable), and “impracticalities” (the Museum’s genteel way of saying it’s difficult to get the dang thing off to have sex or go potty), the installation includes everything from a NASA space suit to high-couture concoctions by the likes of Norma Kamali, Kansai Yamamoto, and Geoffrey Beene.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Sept. 6. Continues through Feb. 1, 2008