Union Suit

Not all of my invention posts are actually "inventions" but just improvements on existing designs. Take the union suit...

The idea behind the Union Suit (see example here) is that it gets cold at night, and by golly, this thing will keep you warm. Except most of the ones on the market these days are cotton.

So the first notion is - how about wool - and not the scratchy kind either?

The second notion is totally a matter of practicality. If you're out camping in the woods, what good is a nice warm union suit if you have to take it off to go to the bathroom? A man (or woman) could freeze to death! So most union suits pay homage to this notion by having a back flap. Right. But if you actually tried to use this back flap - well, let me just say I own two union suits, and the back flap would require some pretty extensive maneuvering to prevent it from becoming a smelly mess. Come on designers - SURELY you can make a back flap that actually works. Let's say, something that unbuttons, pulls up to the front, and buttons in front. Because if you're squatting in the woods, sometimes you need both hands - you can't be hanging on to a flap of cloth and toilet paper and maybe a tree branch for stability at the same time. No. Let's make a realistic back flap. Anybody who designs clothes out there hear me? Oh yeah, they're too busy deciding what the new color will be for fall. Which is why it's rare that PRACTICAL clothing gets created.