Gen Zers and young millennials are bringing back onesies.
The 1980s staple has been seen on Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski and Lizzo, plus Google Trends data indicates that searches for “unitard,” “jumpsuit” and “romper” have all steadily increased over the past three months, reaching a peak in April. Unitards have also found their place on social media.
“You have to get the Aritzia divinity romper. I don’t make the rules,” said Cherie Madeleine, a content creator on TikTok. This video gained 77,500 views and over 6,500 likes. TikTokers Rachel Spencer and Kay Craig have also taken to the platform to model different ways of styling their Aritzia jumpsuits and rompers. One of Craig’s recent TikToks gained traction with 53,500 views and almost 2,600 likes.
@rachspeed Reply to @angelkcx I’m not ashamed I have a type 😂 #fashiontiktok #aritzia #ootd ♬ original sound – Holyjennerr
Koral, an activewear brand that launched in 2014, is one company responding to increased demand. “[Koral] brought the workout jumpsuit to the U.S. market, and it was an instant favorite,” said Ilana Kugel, founder and creative director of Koral. Her pieces are influenced by her active lifestyle and are designed to be worn all day. Koral jumpsuits range in price from $110-$195.
Kugel said the brand’s “jumpsuits are consistently best sellers, across every new color and fabric release, and [every] new jumpsuit fit and detail,” but she declined to provide sales figures. “Celebrity sightings drive traffic spikes, and we are appreciative of the sales that follow,” she said. Most recently, Miley Cyrus wore a Koral jumpsuit while posing with fans at Lollapalooza Argentina, which led to increased traffic, said Kugel. Model Alessandra Ambrosio and influencer Jasmine Sanders have also been spotted in the brand’s jumpsuits.
Larger brands like Aritzia and Alo Yoga have taken to their Instagram accounts to post their activewear rompers styled in various ways. Aritzia posted its TikTok-famous Divinity romper on model Dajana Radovanovic on May 3 and received over 5,000 likes. Alo Yoga shared a video of yoga instructor Ashley Galvin performing a yoga sequence in her Alosoft onesie on April 19, which garnered 8,150 likes. Set Active jumpsuits are another favorite among TikTok users. Fitness influencer, Elisabeth Bradley, often wears hers while working out, and influencer Lauren Licup has styled her Set Active unitard four different ways.
@elisabethfit @setactive #activewear ♬ original sound – bobsburgersvids
@laurenlicup spring/summer staple #setactive #styleinspo #plussizefashion #fashionforyou #fyp ♬ YAK by tyca.mp4 – 4:44 🌐
Activewear brand Terez also counts the unitard as a hero product. “[The brand’s] inspiration stems from the past,” said Zara Terez Tisch, founder of Terez. “We looked at the workout videos of the 1980s and created a modernized bodysuit you could wear day and night.”
Tisch describes its jumpsuits as an extension of its leggings. Terez jumpsuits are priced $122-$162. As soon as the Terez’s unitard launched in October 2021, it sold out immediately, according to the brand. “Women felt this silhouette seemed familiar, but very fresh,” said Tisch. Designer Jennifer Fisher and influencers Arielle Charnas and Brigette Pheloung have all been seen in the brand.
Along with the unitard obsession is a resurgence of other trends that can be attributed to nostalgia for previous decades. And since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a sustained popularity of athleisure, which is expected to continue. The industry is estimated to grow from $411 billion to $793 billion in 2028.
“We are constantly listening to our loyalists for fit feedback and always focused on innovating with the construction, fabrications and details. It will be exciting to see how the social media community styles the numerous unitard fashions this summer,” Kugel said. “A lot of influence is driven by social media; when there is a well-rounded positive response to a particular product, it impacts the customer’s decision to purchase,” said Tisch.
