Vintage Dungarees & Bibs – Not Just For That Old Family Photo

Posted by admin on April 6, 2010

The dungarees (or bib overalls) are back!  Think back to family photos and you may have one that has you in a pair of dungarees.  I know I have a photo of me as a toddler in a style of OshKosh B’gosh bibs….so cute!!

The fashion world seems to be bringing them back in fashion, and there is a reason why.  Dungarees are awesome.  Vintage denim, including dungarees, are just fun to wear.  This season I noticed that Ralph Lauren has an exquisite pair in a dirty denim look.  Dirty denim?  Gosh, think vintage!

Dungarees have been around for years and years.  Workmen wore them originally and during WW2 women began to wear them as well. In the movie The Grapes of Wrath, we saw characters wearing dungarees as a fashion style during the Great Depression.  Fast forward some years and in the 80’s and 90’s we saw hot and heavy again when Kylie Minogue wore them.  And who can forget Jordan of New Kids on the Block?  He wore dungarees all the time, creating a craze.  Then they went away into a fashion corner reserved for farmers, mechanics and maternity wear.

But now denim and buckles are back in fashion and that is partially due to the resurgence of 1980’s head to toe denim.  Kind of like a jumpsuit, but better.  With a jumpsuit you are pretty much tied down to that one look.  Dungarees allow you to mix things up with the tops you wear underneath.  This makes an investment into a pair of vintage bibs a bit more easy on the pallet knowing you can wear it more often and not feel “locked into” one look.

Don’t forget the comfort of dungarees either–especially on the vintage end.  Just like your favorite pair of worn in jeans, they feel like second skin.  They feel like comfort, and they fit your lifestyle.

Where should you find them?  Scour the typical haunts from boutiques, resale shops and thrift stores.  Happy hunting!