Jeans have got themselves a reputation for being a kind of everyman wear, demonstrating as they do the working class status of those who originally wore them. But really, it is the humble pair of dungarees that is the real working class hero. These garments were utilitarian and hard wearing enough to be worn on the factory floor, in the mechanic’s workshop, down a mine or on the field, and since they were rather baggy they could be slipped over other clothing to beat the winter chill. And unlike jeans, which have managed to shuffle into polite society (with the help of some designer labels and breathtaking price tags), dungarees remain on the fringes – which suits those who wear them as a fashion statement perfectly well.

In the 1980s and 1990s, it would not have been completety unexpected to come across a young man wearing dungarees in any street in the UK. The early eighties had its dungaree moments with bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners providing a polar opposite sartorial approach to the slick and tailored look favoured by the likes of Spandeau Ballet or the moneyed casual styling of Duran Duran and their ilk. However it was the latter looks that prevailed and even Dexy’s had folded up their dungarees before long.

But in the late 1980s, another phenomenon arrived that would re-introduce the dungaree to a generation of young men still seething at being too young for their last appearance. It was a trippy, electro-hippy style of music with dozens of genres and sub-genres, but which could be loosely called house music (for the purposes of a clothing article, anyway). Although house music did have its stylish, fashion-obsessed branches, there were also the happy-go-lucky interpretations, with hedonism and happy hip hop at its roots. Its fans spent plenty of time in the clubs of Ibiza, in festival fields and in abandoned warehouses indulging in illegal raves; and boy, did these guys know how to pull off the dungaree look. They would come in every colour under the mirror ball, with patterns, stripes, tie-dye and occasionally plain blue denim, and could even be worn knee-length to reflect the sunnier climes their wearers’ heads were at.

So as we can see, dungarees started out as something worn by the docker, factory worker and manual labourer, and ended up being associated with smiley faces and narcotic excess. Now that’s progress for you! It can only be a matter of time before these versatile garments make their way back onto the high street, so now is the moment to get yourself dungareed up. You’ll struggle to find a pair in the mainstream shops, but check out some vintage clothing stores (online and offline) and you’re sure to find a few gems from the 80s, 90s or even some classic dungas whose previous owners have wielded a spanner with intent to mend. Wear them over a tee shirt or jersey for a traditional look, and try them with sandals for something altogether more laid back. Just don’t try to get in Le Swank restaurant.

Author Bio: James is a huge fan of vintage fashion. His penchant for mens dungarees and other forms of vintage clothing gives him plenty of insight and material for his writings on the subject.

Category: Culture
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