Rosie the Riveter, the American icon of women taking on what had been considered a man’s job during World War II, was originally shown as a bandanna-wearing brunette flexing her arm and declaring “We can do it!” That’s the 1942 poster that the Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller designed for the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.
Norman Rockwell’s version was created for the May 29, 1943 Saturday Evening Post cover. The full-length picture shows her foot is placed above a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf and she is wearing a blue denim jumpsuit. Her outfit is the inspiration behind the ‘The Rosie Jumpsuit’ campaign, which intends to promote cotton as empowering women with stories of “Modern Day Rosies.”
The limited-edition jumpsuit available now was designed by taking an original jumpsuit from that period of time apart in order to see how it was constructed. And then, to design one for 2020. Each one of these jumpsuits will include a piece of a 1940s jumpsuit inside the collar, so you can feel an authentic connection to women’s history.
It’s a nice way to promote cotton for Women’s History Month in March, celebrating the past and the present and drawing the connection between them through the clothing that empowered women to take on jobs that required what had been considered masculine strength and skills.