From scenic gardens to construction sites, from cafes to outdoor barbecues, dungarees have transformed time and time again to meet the needs of those who wear them. Originally, dungarees were utilitarian workwear designed for farming and fishing, but they have become established in American fashion, media and culture. In true utility fashion, their name is their purpose - dungarees were designed to be worn over the clothes of the wearer to protect them while they work. In modern times, dungarees have moved from workwear to leisurewear, with changes in fabric choice and design features. This garment has been transformed over the centuries to become a garment of choice , durable and fashionable. 
1 - Anatomy of the Bib
The term "dungarees" once referred to many types of clothing, including underwear and outerwear. Subsequently the term was shortened to bib dungarees , or dungarees depending on where you are from, describing a garment with a bib attached to trousers. These are La Salopette that most often come to mind today.
The bib dungarees consists of two main parts: the pants, which are traditionally loose, and the bib, which is a chest cover attached to the pant part.
Throughout history, the bib portion of dungarees has undergone several modifications. Originally, the bib was designed as an extension of the leg , known as the continuous bib. This style held sway from the mid-1880s to the early 1900s. In the late 1800s, the bib was redesigned by Louis Lafont as a separate piece of fabric that was attached to the trouser portion of La Salopette, known under the name of separate bib.
For 30 years continuous and separate bibs have been made as popular styles. After 1916, continuous bibs were rarely made, and the separate bib has been the predominant style ever since – with the exception of children's dungarees, which feature both continuous and separate bibs.
2 - Dungarees are Durable and Fashionable
Originally, dungarees were made of denim or heavy canvas for durability and function, or water-resistant or waterproof fabrics for fishing. Since they were considered workwear for many decades, durability and comfort were the main considerations when designing dungarees.
Until the First World War, dungarees were mainly worn by men or as playsuits for children. But once women had to enter the workforce to support the war effort, their everyday clothes were deemed too dangerous for factory work , and a wave of patents appeared to create the clothes. of work that women needed.
After each world war, more fashionable dungarees for women would appear. The practical dungarees design has been adjusted to include soft necklines , waist cinching features, delicate pockets and flared leg styles, details more suited to fashion than function. The most fashionable dungarees use lightweight cottons instead of denim or canvas, which are still relegated to workwear. Fashionable work clothes and dungarees continued to be sold until today. You can still buy durable work dungarees in duck canvas or heavyweight denim, but you'll also find fashionable dungarees in fabrics ranging from linen to lightweight denim.
3 - First, the Patent: Levi's versus Lee Jeans
So when exactly did dungarees appear? The first patented garment with rivets , which eventually became the iconic Levi's 501 Blue Jean, was patented as dungarees by Levi Strauss & Company in 1873. It was one of the first patents for a mass-produced ensemble to exist. But Levi's dungarees weren't bib dungarees ; they were simply trouser dungarees, also known as waisted dungarees, worn over underwear.
It wasn't until the 1960s, when baby boomers began to adopt the term "jeans" instead of using "dungarees" or "waist dungarees," that Levi's 501s were differentiated from the term " dungarees".
Despite the patent filed in 1873, Levi Strauss & Company was not the original inventor of the suspender dungarees. The first mass-produced bib dungarees were actually patented and produced by Lee Jeans in 1921. Bib dungarees were made before this patent by companies such as Carhartt , but Lee Jeans was able to patent the style first. These patents, however, appeared long after dungarees were worn on a regular basis.
4 - Denim, Race and Social Class
There is no proof of the existence of a single inventor of suspender dungarees and no precise date of their appearance . There is evidence that dungarees were in use as early as the late 1700s as denim protective clothing and were regularly worn by slaves . Denim was used partly because the material was sturdy, and partly because it contrasted sharply with the linen suits and lace parasols of plantation families.
In addition to durability and practicality, denim dungarees were used to visually delineate race and social class . After the Civil War ended and the Emancipation Proclamation made chattel slavery illegal in the Confederate States, sharecropping became the new norm. Denim dungarees were regularly worn by sharecroppers , which perpetuated the negative perception that denim dungarees were for black Americans and poor white Americans.
In the 1960s, civil rights activists used denim dungarees – still strongly associated with sharecropping – to symbolize how little progress had been made since reconstruction. At first, civil rights activists wore dungarees for practicality — they were tired of fixing tears from attack dogs and high-pressure lances, and denim could stand up to abuse. However, the wearing of denim dungarees in protest was not fully implemented by activists.
The politics of respect - the idea that black protesters should be well cut and dressed in their Sunday attire - has driven a wedge between activists. It was thought that protesting well-dressed would elicit a more positive reaction from white oppressors. However, being well dressed was not just a way to protest against white supremacy. Showing up well-dressed was a survival tactic adopted by blacks in an attempt to deter white supremacists from using violence in their daily lives, and thus extended to tactics used during protests. Activists used both modalities of dress – suit and denim dungarees – to appeal to their target audience.
Denim dungarees are not just a symbolic expression. By donning denim dungarees, activists were able to reach out to working-class black communities to help them register to vote, which at that time could cost you your life if you voted as black. By wearing dungarees, activists were able to reach these communities and overcome the class divide that those who wore moccasins could not.
Denim was the look of the civil rights movement that deeply symbolized the black struggle for freedom . Wearing denim was a direct and visible protest against white supremacy. The subsequent introduction of denim into the mainstream, marketed as a youthful, fresh, and relaxed look, intentionally erased the sense and discrimination faced by civil rights activists who wore denim dungarees. "The trucker coat that Levi's introduced in the '60s, at the height of the hippie movement, was a throwback to the denim jacket style that working class and sharecroppers had worn for decades," says James Sullivan. What we now consider the classic Levi's jacket was introduced as a new style in 1962, but poor sharecroppers in the Deep South had been wearing it for decades. "The sharecroppers' connection to the rural, rural working class inspired, in part, the all-denim, top-down look that the hippies came to wear.
5 - Dungarees are Trendy today!
The popularity of dungarees has gone up and down over the years. What do you imagine when you think of dungarees? For many of us, we think of hippies who wore bell-bottomed dungarees and 1990s rappers who wore dungarees with a single strap attached. Dungarees have not only accompanied us for decades, but also for centuries. They have inspired countless other garments such as dungarees, dungarees and even our beloved jeans. They have been adapted for industry, casual wear, military use, cold weather sports and activism, and have recently made a comeback with many styles and patterns reminiscent of the original vintage designs. Right now, you can see dungarees inspired by 1930s designs and dungarees with modern silhouettes and flowing linens walking down the same street.
The dungarees are a garment that is constantly evolving to meet the demands and aesthetics of each generation that wears it. Who will wear them next?