Dungarees in History
Dungarees are an amazing piece of clothing. They’re fun, stylish, and comfortable to wear. But these special overalls have a longer history than people think, so we’d like to share with you the ins and outs of these popular fashion products.
The beginning of the dungaree
The reliable piece of clothing we all know and love, dungarees have been around since the 17th century. At first, the word “Dungri” was used for all hard-wearing clothes made using the material, having been named for the village in India where the fabric was produced.
It wasn’t until the material was purchased for English use that the fabric became known as “dungaree”. During this time, the English were only using the fabric to create trousers for work. This didn’t last long.
In 1853, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis created the first overalls design using the dungaree fabric.
Made for work
Soon, the product grew in popularity. These new overalls were being used by every average working person, with professions being colour coded by the fabric of the clothing. For example, painters wore white, and individuals in the working classes wore various shades of blue.
Blue dungarees never lost their popularity, and though white is less common, there are dungarees today that carry some of that painter’s flair.
(JAKI Splash Dungarees in Light Grey)
Despite the ever-changing fabrics and styles throughout the years, the dungaree has remained popular. This is perhaps because of the use of the dungaree by celebrities and Hollywood stars, who wore the item as a fashion piece.
Adopted by the stars
Once dungarees moved out of the working classes, the public started buying them and styling them in their own way. This was inspired by the huge number of famous people that had started modelling them. We’re talking everyone from Clint Eastwood to Princess Diana.
The fashion stylings of famous individuals have been influencing the way the public dresses for decades. We are inspired by what is considered high fashion, especially when it’s worn by someone that we idolise.
Why dungarees are so popular
Dungarees are very retro. Retro clothing can be nostalgic, as much as buying retro games or furnishings. People enjoy standing out from the crowd and being more of an individual than those around them. These reasons are part of what makes dungarees so popular in the fashion world, despite how old the style is. No style ever really dies in fashion, it just hibernates for a few years before someone brings it back with a new twist.
And that’s the thing about dungarees – they’re vintage, but they’ve been given a modern twist. Today, they aren’t made out of the stiff and hard-wearing Dungri or dungaree fabric. Instead, they’re made from stylish and on-trend fabrics that are made to be statement pieces or just be comfortable.
