Catsuit Nation

All-in-ones for all dominated the runways this season. Here’s how the silhouette clawed its way to the top.

- By Véronique Hyland

Diana Rigg, as Emma Peel, wore one. So did Britney Spears and nearly every Catwoman from Julie Newmar to Zoë Kravitz. By turns fetishistic and innocent, futuristic and throwback-worthy, the modern-day catsuit came into being when designer John Sutcliffe introduced the style for bikers in the ’50s. It went from fun, liberatory garment to slick Barbarella accoutrement fast, and its contradictions have been fascinating fashion ever since.

This season has brought us a full-on catsuit resurgence, both on the runway and in celebrity wardrobes. It feels like the perfect marriage of the body-conscious fashion that has ruled recent years and the more covered-up, unfussy options we reached for in lockdown. “Designers have fully embraced this new wave of sexy dressing, through everything from cutout dresses to flashing midriffs and crop tops,” notes Libby Page, senior market editor at Net-a-Porter. “And the catsuit is no exception.”