Boilersuits are this season's answer to the jumpsuit

A boiler suit, in its 2018 fashion incarnation, is a bit like a slice of ham and pineapple pizza: captivating, a little repulsive and actually, quite delicious. It’s also divisive.

Conduct a quick survey among your friends on both topics and you’ll find a group who split down the middle, with half disturbed by the prospect of fruit and mozzarella in such close proximity and the other fixated on the idea of dressing like they belong in an F1 pit stop.

You’ll find a similar reception on the high street with boiler suits firmly in favour in a smattering of the city’s most on-the-pulse retailers. Although admittedly there’s no Hawaiian pizza to be purchased at H&M — a great pity, I’m sure you agree.

But back to the boilers. What’s most fascinating about this trend is that despite its novelty value, the boiler is well on its way to standing among the most prevailing looks of the season. Perhaps it’s a case of so wrong it’s right. Certainly, there’s something about a person in a boiler suit that catches the eye. Like Donald Trump’s chin — OK, lack of — a boiler is one of those things that stays with you long after it’s disappeared from view.

Advocates for the trend are plentiful. Gigi Hadid is a fan and then there’s every single attendee at London Fashion Week. Of course, I exaggerate but during the shows last month it was impossible to turn your head without spotting a front-line fashion fan sporting a candy pink boiler. Imagine Barbie sponsoring the Monaco Grand Prix for the perfect mental visual.

But don’t be misled into thinking this is one of those enigmatic trends that is unlikely to materialise IRL. The boiler is major. And you’re going to see a lot more of them as winter tightens its hold. Evoking the prized staff members of your local branch of Kwik Fit, the boiler is the jumpsuit trend on steroids, with nylon and heavy duty denim styles among the current favourites.