An Ode to the Playsuit
I forgot just how good a playsuit can be! In my hey-day a playsuit was my thing and I’d very often opt for them over dresses, because as I’m sure most of you will know, I’m a big fan of mini dresses. However, mini dresses don’t necessarily lend themselves very well to practicality, so on the days when I had to be in the office but was heading out for drinks after work, particularly on a Friday, very often I would opt for a playsuit. Practical enough to wear flitting about town on trains and tubes, slightly less sexy than a mini dress – only slightly though, but perfect for drinks and dancing in the evenings.
I remember wearing a polka dot 1930s inspired playsuit to Cafe de Paris on a Saturday night clubbing in London and loving the fact that I could seriously get down to the tunes. A bright cerise pink playsuit to work on a hot friday and then for cocktails in clapham in the evening. One of my favourite playsuits I wore to Hakkasan in Las Vegas – it was tuxedo inspired with a gold bar detail at the waist. I remember when I wore it, a passerby said to Christian, ‘Wow, you are one seriously lucky man!’ Yep, once upon a time I used to get comments like that and once upon a time I used to feel so damn good in a playsuit.
Fast forward to present day, motherhood, a whole new lifestyle and body shape to go with it, I have steered well clear of playsuits. The last playsuit I bought was from Mango, it was white broderie anglaise and although it fit, it didn’t fit me perfectly. The issue with playsuits is, if you don’t fit a typical or sample dress size 8, 10, 12 etc, then finding a playsuit that fits perfectly can take some navigating. I found that I always had to size up in playsuits, even when I was size 8-10 because I find they were far too short in the body and would leave me with some serious wedgie or camel toe!
If you too struggle to find playsuits that fit you perfectly, then I would advise either sizing up (and having it altered, if you love it that much) or opting for a playsuit that has minimal restrictive details, like buttons, zips or fastenings. This particular playsuit works so well on me, firstly because I sized up to accommodate my bust, but most importantly because it has no fastenings, just a wrap detail at the back which means I can manipulate the fabric and tie and tuck as I see fit. This is also the benefit of sizing up, it means there’s excess fabric for you to manipulate and play about with. Of course this is only a general rule and does not apply to all garments.
When shopping playsuits, the key is to do the sit down and walk around test in said playsuit and even jumpsuits too, if the legs don’t bunch up around the thighs when you’re walking in it and you can sit down COMFORTABLY, at a 90 degree angle AND without risk of splitting open the entire under section, this means the rise is probably OK.
Here are some of my favourite playsuits at the moment, high street, premium and luxury (just for me to admire!) Hope you enjoy the edit!
