What's all this about a "Onesie" ?

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Ron Goldstein, Jan 11, 2013.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    The British press, for whatever reason, seems fascinated at the moment with the "Onesie".

    For the un-initiated, this is a one-piece suit, originally designed for toddlers, that is now being worn by various adult celebrities.

    It strikes me that apart from Winston Churchill's Siren Suit we also wore these in the tanks in Italy as the snap of me in 1945 clearly shows.

    Before posting, I did a bit of GOOGLING and found this interesting thread about the origin of the tank suit which I see was introduced in July 1943
    http://www.onesixth.co.uk/vb4forum/showthread.php?289-The-Pixie-Suit-(aka-Oversuit-Tank)-Usage-in-Normandy-in-1944-a-discussion-piece
    Ron
     

    Attached Files:

  2. TiredOldSoldier

    TiredOldSoldier Senior Member

    Italians call that a tuta and it was standard issue to WW2 tankers (officially nuova combinazione di tela rasata turchina mod. 41 per Carristi) in blue of all possible colours!.

    That design is rather common for working clothes for jobs where you will get dirty.
     
  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    It looks like a modern take of the "overall" with padding
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Apparently, if someone's wearing a Onesie and Ugg boots at the same time, you're legally allowed (encouraged even) to smash them in the face.
    I wish I had known of this common liberty when I saw the specimen in Pink galumphing around a supermarket this weekend.
    Tell your friends; I'd laugh one of them might get lucky.

    The Pixie suit & it's predecessors are, however, style icons, and can never go out of fashion.
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Bloomin Veterans on this site get away with murder.
    If any other member had started a thread about the onesie I'd have banned them.
     
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Owen

    That option, of course, is still open to you :)

    Ron
     
  7. Swiper

    Swiper Resident Sospan

    The Pixie suit & it's predecessors are, however, style icons, and can never go out of fashion.

    It recently emerged that the term 'Pixie suit' was created in the 60s/70s by collectors in a few publications and is not a period name for it. However it was referred to as 'teddybear suit' during the design stages.

    Jolly interesting pieces of kit.
     
  8. Callisto

    Callisto Twitter ye not

    Attached Files:

  9. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Humble infantry types like myself would have never dreamed of suggesting a Hussar wore 'rather common for working clothes!'
     
  10. chick42-46

    chick42-46 Senior Member

  11. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    It recently emerged that the term 'Pixie suit' was created in the 60s/70s by collectors in a few publications and is not a period name for it. However it was referred to as 'teddybear suit' during the design stages.

    I presume you're referring to my post over on the MLU swiper? The Pixie suit name seems to have come in in the 50's, around Korea, when there were several ladies and childrens fashion items which looked similiar and were indeed called Pixie Hats or suits. During the war some units referred to them as Zoot suits and yes members of the MRC committee who were involved in the early design did indeed nickname it the Teddybear suit!
     
  12. Swiper

    Swiper Resident Sospan

    I believe it may well be - it popped up somewhere online (repeatedly on a few sites) as I've recently been penning a series of articles on tank crew gear for reference.

    Certainly I've seen some of your posts on this (or very related) areas and they've proved terribly, terribly useful!
     
  13. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=97098&d=1357896047

    This picture is just begging for a caption competition!

    Its WSC's smarter siren suit. Turnbull & Asser: The best of British - Telegraph

    Asa 1980s era BAOR soldier I found one of the 1944 pattern tank suits and thought it would be the answer to commanding a vehicle on long night moves. Its OK and nice and warm as long as it doesn't get wet, and too hot with crisp packet waterpoofs.

    The onsies that look particularly silly are those with aears on the hood and a tail. Abpout a year ago I spotted an young cavalry officer sporting what looked like a tiger costume with an asortment of giggling female companions walking through the ante room at the end of a function in the RAC Mess Bovingdon.
     
  14. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    Certainly I've seen some of your posts on this (or very related) areas and they've proved terribly, terribly useful!


    Glad to hear that, I love doing the research...I'm just never sure if my witterings are at all useful to others, LOL!
     
  15. Five-Five

    Five-Five Senior Member

    Glad to hear that, I love doing the research...I'm just never sure if my witterings are at all useful to others, LOL!

    They certainly are, Pete!

    All the best,
    Five-Five (AB64)
     
  16. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

  17. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    The British press, for whatever reason, seems fascinated at the moment with the "Onesie".

    For the un-initiated, this is a one-piece suit, originally designed for toddlers, that is now being worn by various adult celebrities.

    It strikes me that apart from Winston Churchill's Siren Suit we also wore these in the tanks in Italy as the snap of me in 1945 clearly shows.

    Before posting, I did a bit of GOOGLING and found this interesting thread about the origin of the tank suit which I see was introduced in July 1943
    http://www.onesixth.co.uk/vb4forum/showthread.php?289-The-Pixie-Suit-(aka-Oversuit-Tank)-Usage-in-Normandy-in-1944-a-discussion-piece
    Ron

    Thanks for the explanation, Ron.

    Now I know! I wonder then, is a two-piece suit a "Twosie" and a three-piece suit (i.e. with waistcoat) a "Threesie"?
     
  18. singeager

    singeager Senior Member

    Ive mentioned this before I think.
    But ive seen one of Churchill’s siren suits at the IWM Museum.
    What struck me was that it was a rather vivid dark purple velvet, which is something that doesn’t come across in Black & white Film footage.

    At the time I couldn’t get out of my head the idea of Churchill.
    In what appeared to be a big purple baby grow (Onesie's in modern parlance), parading around in front of all those smart military types. Given them orders.
     
  19. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Ive mentioned this before I think.
    But Ive seen one of Churchill’s siren suits at the IWM Museum.
    What struck me was that it was a rather vivid dark purple velvet, which is something that doesn't come across in Black & white Film footage.

    At the time I couldn't get out of my head the idea of Churchill.
    In what appeared to be a big purple baby grow (Onesies in modern parlance), parading around in front of all those smart military types. Given them orders.


    If you read Alanbrooke diary the siren suits are frequently mentioned. His first entry is after Brooke's first visit to Chequers is of Churchill's pale blue siren suit. After Dinner Churchill give a demonstration of new foot drill he would like the army to adopt. "I was convulsed watching him give this demonstration of bayonet exercises dressed up in his romper suit and standing in the ancestral hall of Chequers."

    I need to correct ,my earlier post. The dragon pattern clothing is Winston's dressing gown, which also gets a mention.
    " I found Winston in bed wearing his red and gold dressing gown and smoking a cigar." This was a typical place to meet the PM. "This costume was worth a visit to see, and only he would have thought of wearing it" (27 Jan 1942) I suspect that the photo with Eisenhower was taken in North Africa at some conference and when Churchill was ill.

    WSC was not alone in wearing a siren suit. Its also worn by the famous Mr Wu immortalised by George Formby

    George Formby - Mr Wu's An Air Raid Warden Now - YouTube
     
  20. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    In my time in the Royal Air Force we had issued green denim fatiques to cover the working blue although I personally never wore the tunic underneath.But they were a must for those working on airframes and engines,the latter could be a very dirty job.

    Press stud cuffs on the arms and legs,surely these were the original "Onesies" in an era when denim was not fashionable.

    Onesies: seems to me that the fashion industry has reinvented the wheel.

    Oh, the pixie suit was used by mothers to keep their infant offspring warm in the pram or pushchair in the days when we had real winters.The weatherproof plastic coverings for prams and pushchairs had yet to be marketed.
     

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