A few summers back, I snapped up an olive green, tank-style jumpsuit from the H&M on Pike Street in Seattle. Simple and comfortable, it quickly entered my regular rotation and became a real workhorse: I paired it with crisp Stan Smiths, I threw a denim shirt over top when I wanted more coverage, I layered it with a too-short tee (or what I like to call an unintentional crop top). It went everywhere I did, which is how it was lost, too; accidentally abandoned in a hotel after a hurricane pack job.
By that time it was late fall, and I searched H&M thoroughly for a replacement with no luck; the jumpsuit had no online footprint and the brick-and-mortar stores near me didn’t have any in stock. I always held out hope, checking online every few months with no luck. Then last week, when I was scrolling around on H&M, hoping to find a striped red-and-white button down (that’s a whole other story) I saw a one-piece in the “suggested items” section. (Thank you, mysterious internet cookies.) It was my jumpsuit. Back. In black.
But would the 2.0 version let me down? Was I putting too much pressure on a humble staple? In short: no. It was everything I remembered. The tank top stays close to the body, the waist is slightly cinched with elastic, and the pant length falls just above the ankle for maximum shoe options. It has the comfort of athleisure but isn’t quite so casual — the pants are tapered and there’s no cuff, so these don’t feel like sweatpants or workout wear.
It is also very easy to care for. With the elastic waist, there’s no fussing with a drawstring being pulled out in the wash. Rayon is very low maintenance — throw it in the machine and hang or tumble dry on low heat. It hasn’t pilled or pulled in the wrong directions. And unlike some jumpsuits, it’s easy to slip in and out of, which makes it an ideal travel companion. Just don’t leave it behind in the hotel room.
A couple other Strategist-approved jumpsuits
This is Strategist editor Maxine Builder’s favorite inexpensive and versatile jumpsuit, about which she wrote: “My affection for the piece has reached the point where I actually feel a little lost when I reach for the jumpsuit in the morning, only to remember that it’s in the wash.”
And this is a jumpsuit that Strategist editor Jason Chen wrote a one-act play about.
And a bonus pair of overalls beloved by Strategist writer Katy Schneider.
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