[DEEP DIVE] RACING SUIT

Welcome back to "DEEP DIVE" where we take a look into the inspiration behind some of our favorite Engineered Garments pieces. In this installation, we are featuring the "Racing Suit", the Engineered Garments version of classic coveralls. 

Like all great workwear items, the design of the Racing Suit comes from function over form. Its earliest ancestor is the boiler suit - so called for its use by those repairing the boilers of coal powered locomotive engines. Repairmen needed something that was loose fitting enough to allow for a full range of motion in tight spaces, without hanging pieces or holes that might snag on machinery or allow loosened soot to burn the workman. 

As World War II began, massive naval warships were constructed, whose vast and complex machinery required a cadre of mechanics and engineers to provide constant service and maintenance. Their garment of choice: the US Navy issued coverall, whose same one-piece design was perfectly suited for messy, dangerous work.  Away from the battlefield, jumpsuits began to appear on the factory floor, becoming a symbol of no-frills wartime hardiness. 

By the end of the war, these functional workwear items had shown up wherever mechanical work was done, notably in garages. But it wasn’t just the grease monkeys who donned this one-piece getup. In the 1950’s and 60’s, as race cars achieved higher and higher speeds, collisions often resulted in a fiery blaze, and the jumpsuit moved from the repair shop to the driver’s seat for the same fire protection properties as the original boiler suit. 

The Engineered Garments’ Racing Suit is a modern amalgamation of the many versions of the jumpsuit (as is its close relative the Boiler Suit). Simply constructed, the Racing Suit has just enough details to get the job done, with its simple belt loops, zip closure and functional left breast pocket. There are quite a few trademark EG touches tucked away as well: the drawstrings on the leg openings and waist, asymmetrical back pockets, reinforced stitching across the rear, and subtle corduroy lining along the sleeve and collar. Zipped up, or tied up at the waist, this one-piece garment is easy to style. 

Whether your style inspiration lies among the oily machinery repairmen who dwelled in the belly of US Navy battleships or the debonair champion race car drivers of Le Mans or the Monaco Grand Prix, the Racing Suit has something to offer for everyone.  

The Racing Suit is available the following fabrics:

• Black 14W Corduroy
• Black Cotton Micro Sanded Twill
• Brown Cotton Micro Sanded Twill
• Black w/Multi Color Floral Embroidery
• Indigo 10oz Racing Broken Denim
• Khaki 14W Corduroy
• Olive Cotton Ripstop
  
  

Available in-store and online at nepenthesny.com