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This ‘travel jumpsuit’ was designed for flying in a pandemic

If you have to fly, you’ll want to fly in this.

This ‘travel jumpsuit’ was designed for flying in a pandemic

[Photos: Marta Scarampi]

BY Lara Sorokanich3 minute read

When Lucia Scarampi booked a flight home to New York City from Rome for April 30, she was nervous about flying. But as Italy began to open up again, she made the tough decision to fly to the United States to reunite with her husband whom she hadn’t seen in three months. As she anxiously prepped to leave, her sister and business partner Marta Scarampi came up with a travel solution she hoped might ease some of her sister’s anxiety: a breathable, coverall jumpsuit Lucia could slip on over her clothes and wear for the duration of her travel, then slip out of as soon as she got home.

[Photo: Marta Scarampi]
“Flying was a completely surreal experience—there were nine people on the plane from Rome to New York,” Lucia says. “Wearing something that was all one piece, I felt really protected. You’re completely wrapped up.” When Lucia landed, she stripped off the suit outside her apartment door, turned it inside out, and dropped it into a small carrier bag that she then dropped off at the dry cleaner. It was a simple solution the Scarampi sisters are betting will take off in coming months, as women grapple with returning to flying, working, and commuting.

[Photo: Marta Scarampi]
The Deco Travel Collection, now in preorder, can be purchased as individual units or a set of a jumpsuit, mask, and travel bag. Each piece is made on-demand out of a waterproof, breathable, silk-blend fabric, currently available in a neutral light khaki, like a classic trench coat. The jumpsuit is designed to be worn with or without clothes underneath, and its elastic waist, wrist, and ankle bands keep it snug and comfortable. An added hood means the suit can be worn in rain or snow, but can also be pulled up on a plane or train to keep the wearer’s hair from brushing against seats or otherwise getting contaminated. Once they arrive at their destination, they can pull off the suit and store it in the bag to take for dry cleaning (or, experts suggest, remove the item of clothing and allow it to air out for a few days, since the virus doesn’t live long on porous surfaces).

[Photo: Marta Scarampi]
“Our idea is that you can travel in something that you can then just take off when you arrive, and be ready,” Lucia says. “I used it on a plane, but you could also just use it for your commute, on the train or subways or in an Uber.”

[Photo: Marta Scarampi]
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak Marta Scarampi, the sisters’ eponymous clothing atelier in Italy, created high-end women’s work wear for travel, meant to easily mix and match for all kinds of weather and occasions. When Italy shut down all nonessential businesses earlier this year, the company pivoted to manufacturing face masks, as well as protective gear such as capes for hair salons and beauty companies. It also launched a line of lounge sets of matching masks, dresses, and shirts that could transition from home life to office work once the pandemic ended.

Lucia credits their ability to pivot with the company’s made-to-order structure—with plenty of fabric available but no inventory to offload, the company can easily adjust to fashion’s changing needs, with little waste or cost. Now, as the world opens back up, the sisters see an opening in the market for solutions that address their customers’ safety concerns while still being elegant and fashionable enough to fit into professional settings. “This is an extension of what we already did with capes and blazers,” Lucia says. “We’re just adapting with the times.”

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