Meowww!
When Halle Berry, in her black catsuit and red lips, mouthed meow in “Catwoman”, many hearts went fluttering. A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the whole body, of course, in variations of designs. Usually in stretchable material such as lycra, chiffon, spandex, or latex, they are designed with a zipper in the front or back or pulled on over with a neck opening.
Although, the catsuit fashion emerged in the ‘40s, it took off only in 1964 when
French designer Andre Courreges introduced the suit in his “Space Age” collection. Worn as a fashion item from the 60s to the 90s, they were generally used for aerobics and disco dancing. But during the 1970s the popularity of the catsuits went down as more natural fabrics returned. However, during the 80s and 90s when rappers Missy Elliot and Dee-Lite’s Lady Miss Kier brought back the catsuit in psychedelic patterns, it came back to the attention of fashionistas again.
Catsuit has been big in the sports circle as well. Sports such as speed skating, bob sled, winter triathlon, ski-racing, cycling, and gymnastics prefer catsuits to any other attire as they cater to the special garment needs of the said sports, such as, flexibility. From physical sports the trend of wearing catsuits trickled down to the movies. With A-list actresses adorning the catsuit for their roles, it remains a wish-list item for many fans. Actresses playing “Catwoman” in the Batman and Robin series wore them. Scarlett Johansson wore one for the movie “Marvel’s The Avengers” for portraying the “Black Widow”. Pop sensation Cher has also worn catsuits to her performances.
Shirley Bassey wore a sleeveless chiffon catsuit for her album cover photograph.
The application of the catsuit hasn’t changed much through the years. Till date they are widely used by female action stars in movies, sportswomen and dominatrices as fetish wear. Whenever you need to look uber sexy that demands attention, put on a black catsuit with a flashy belt and calf length boots. Mostly an after dark wear the catsuits can be made of taffeta, lace or high shine fabrics. But the first and foremost thing you need to carry the catsuit is supreme confidence.
Check out the cute catsuits on Beverlyheels.com.
