Stephen Libby on fashion: I’m on a mission to revive the jumpsuit – they’re practical and stylish | Fashion

Since appearing on The Traitors, I’ve become synonymous with jumpsuits. In fact, I’ve been required to wear one at every public appearance I have made since it aired, despite only wearing two on the show. That’s the power of the jumpsuit, I guess.

When I was packing for the show, I wasn’t even sure I would bring them – and not everyone watching liked them. Lots of people did, but I got messages saying: “What the hell is he wearing?”. The memes were also phenomenal. My favourite was my head on John Travolta’s body in a still from Saturday Night Fever.

I now own five jumpsuits – which is probably five more than almost any other man – and they all tend to be quite 70s in style. This was a golden period for the men’s jumpsuit, when David Bowie and Elton John wore them, and they really became a part of popular culture. They’ve since faded into obscurity and now the only men we see wearing them are those who are very comfortable with their sexuality, such as Benson Boone and Harry Styles.

You can see echoes of the 70s in some modern men’s clothes, whether it’s a geometric pattern or a wide lapel, but jumpsuits seem to be a bridge too far for most people. I love them because they’re so practical. I take quite a while to get ready at the best of times, and they are a whole outfit in one. As for going to the loo, it’s easier than with trousers because there’s no button, just a zip.

I bought my first jumpsuit six years ago. It was from a brand called Palomo Spain, cost about £300 and I saved up for 18 months to buy it. It’s orange and blue with short sleeves, and one of the ones I wore on TV. The moment I wore it out of the house, that was it: it became the gateway drug to my jumpsuit era. People have referred to it as a boilersuit, but I would never get under the bonnet of a car wearing that beautiful garment.

The next one I bought was also Palomo Spain. It was black and white and very chic. You might recognise it from the finale of Traitors – though I very nearly didn’t wear that either. I bought it a while before filming started, and then discovered Harry Styles had worn the same one on tour. Nothing against Harry, but I pride myself on trying to be as unique as possible, so I’d already earmarked a beautiful micro-checked 70s suit for the finale. The problem was, when I put it on, we discovered the print was causing the camera to strobe. The only thing I hadn’t worn was the jumpsuit, so I ended up wearing that. And of course, I became “Stephen from Traitors in the jumpsuits”.

A good jumpsuit can really elongate your body. The trick is making sure the waist sits where the waist of your trousers would sit. For me, that’s quite high up, but you can get things altered to what works for you. Unlike a lot of menswear, the jumpsuit is the main event, so you don’t need to accessorise much. I’d probably wear a loafer, or a Cuban heel – just not trainers. Jumpsuits aren’t really casual items of clothing so trainers would just look a bit off.

I’ve not seen many affordable jumpsuit options for men, who tend to favour overalls or boilersuits (as far as I’m concerned, these are different garments with a slouchy fit or a drop crotch). My tip is to buy a women’s one and just get it altered. Reiss do some fantastic denim jumpsuits which you can get in a longer leg, as do Me+Em. Other than that, it’s vintage all the way.

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect jumpsuit. I remember seeing a photo of David Bowie leaving Studio 54 wearing one by Willie Brown. It’s not a classic 70s style, and is in fact quite loose, but I said to myself: “ I need to own something like this in my lifetime.” I still haven’t found the exact one, but I’m about to bid on a purple disco number from the 1970s. Wish me luck!

Styling: Sam Deaman. Stylist’s assistant: Charlotte Gornall. Grooming: Alice Theobald at Arlington Artists using Benefit and Dr Hauschka. Jumpsuit, £240, Reiss. Belt, £195, Elliot Rhodes. Bracelet, £295, Dower & Hall. Prada loafers, £75, Depop