Thanks again for everyone’s help in identifying the ridiculous upper-body garment favoured by Three’s Company’s Mr. Furley as a “belted vest”. Can we all now put our heads together and come up with the proper sartorial nomenclature for Ronald McDonald’s outfit? I’m referring specifically to the bright yellow garment he wears overtop the striped shirt[sup]*[/sup] and tights. If I had to describe it, I’d say it was a “sleeveless knickerbocker jumpsuit”, though that’s kind of a mouthful. Is there a more common term for it? And was this item of clothing invented specifically for the clown, or is/was anything resembling it actually worn by the general public at some time, or by some particular tradespeople?
[sup]*[/sup]In some incarnations of the costume, it looks like the striped sleeves are sewn onto the jumpsuit, but in others they clearly belong to a separate shirt worn underneath.
“Sleeveless jumpsuit” sounds about right. Women also wear “rompers” but they are usually very short legged. “Capri rompers” then get them to calf-length, but that’s probably a description rather than a name.
When I think of jumpsuits and overalls, I think of garments with long pant legs. Am I the only one who thinks the short legs are just as salient as the lack of sleeves?
When I Google image search “overalls”, all I get is pictures of bib and brace overalls. Preface the search with the word “sleeveless” and get the vest style ones.
I don’t know a short term to describe all the elements of Ronald’s garment, but I’d say sleeveless culotte jumpsuit or sleeveless culotte overalls is the most descriptive and concise term I can think of. Otherwise, perhaps vested knickerbocker overalls/jumpsuit covers it. Another term for the trouser part could be 3/4 length, or they could be loosely described as knee-breeches, but that’s not improving the brevity.
Creepy? Disturbing? It looks like he murdered a child and is wearing his victim’s clothes. It doesn’t fit him right so it exposes his red striped prison outfit underneath. His ashen face (I assume from years of being locked away) is splattered with his victim’s blood around the mouth, indicating he ate said victim(s). Then washed his hair in the pool of blood…Or am I the only one seeing this?
I’m not suggesting that Ronald McDonald was patterned after the Comedian. I’m saying that a similar garment is called a boiler suit, and citing the early Comedian as an example.
I’m not suggesting that Ronald McDonald was patterned after the Comedian. I’m saying that a similar garment is called a boiler suit, and citing the early Comedian as an example.