Adult crocodile onesie: the one-piece that makes everyone smile

An adult crocodile onesie is a one-piece whose hood is a crocodile's head: pull it up to make an entrance, push it back to settle down on the sofa. This guide introduces the shop's Crocodile Onesie, its cut and sizes, the occasions to wear it and the duos to form with it. Along the way, it answers a question you'll ask yourself when you look at it closely: crocodile or alligator?

What does the Crocodile Onesie look like?

It's an olive-green flannel onesie, with a yellow belly, scales stitched all the way down the back and a tail at the rear. The hood forms the head: padded snout, white fabric teeth, appliquéd nostrils and eyes. Pulled up, it turns you into a crocodile; pushed back, it drops down onto the back of your neck.

According to the product page, the flannel is soft to the touch and warm without being stuffy. The cut leaves room at the shoulders and hips, so you can sleep in it, spend the evening in it or answer the door without getting changed.

Crocodile or alligator: does your onesie have the right head?

You can recognise a crocodile by its narrow, triangular snout and a tooth that sticks out when its mouth is closed. Everglades National Park, in southern Florida, where the American crocodile and the American alligator live side by side, gives these pointers: in the American crocodile, the fourth tooth on each side of the lower jaw remains visible with the mouth closed, whereas the alligator has a broader snout and darker skin (National Park Service, American Crocodile: Species Profile).

Photo: Chuck Dryer, National Park Service / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

The same page describes adults with a grey-green back and tail and a white to yellowish belly. So the olive green and yellow belly of the onesie are firmly on the crocodile side.

The park also points out that crocodiles don't produce their own heat: they regulate their temperature by basking in the sun or moving to different water. To warm up, you've got the flannel.

Adult crocodile onesie: which size to choose?

Take your usual size, and the next size up if you're unsure: that's what the product page advises. The Crocodile Onesie comes in S, M, L and XL. Its cut is unisex and deliberately roomy: a women's or men's crocodile onesie is the same style.

Two points to help you choose:

1. Between two sizes, go up. A slightly long leg can be rolled up, whereas a onesie that's too short pulls at the shoulders as soon as you sit cross-legged.
2. Think about what you'll wear underneath. A sweatshirt under the onesie for an evening out takes up room.

Our guide to choosing the right adult onesie size covers the other pointers.

The style comes in adult sizes only. For a child, our article kids' kigurumi: what age, what size, what safety checks covers the styles in kids' sizes.

When to wear an adult crocodile costume?

An adult crocodile costume can be worn all evening, then goes back to being pyjamas the next day.

• Animal-themed fancy-dress party: the crocodile is recognisable from a distance. Our article on animal-themed fancy-dress parties suggests other costumes and an activity for your guests.
• Hen or stag do: one onesie for the guest of honour, or a whole pack of crocodiles for the group. It can be worn over light clothes.
• Halloween: a crocodile raises more smiles than screams, but the toothy hood makes an impression in photos.
• Sofa night: soft flannel, a roomy cut, a hood that doubles as a cushion. For an evening with friends in this outfit, see our ideas for a grown-up pyjama party.

If the evening carries on outside, on foot, think about visibility: an olive-green crocodile is hard to see at night. France's road safety agency, the Sécurité routière, advises pedestrians to wear light-coloured clothing and reflective strips as soon as visibility drops (Sécurité routière, pedestrian leaflet, in French). A reflective armband slips onto the sleeve without spoiling the costume.

Who to pair up with?

• The crocodile and the shark: two aquatic predators. The Shark Kigurumi in blue flannel has a shark-jaw hood and a fin on the back.
• The crocodile and the monkey: a jungle duo with the Monkey Kigurumi, with its pale muzzle and big round ears. Add a banana as a prop, which the crocodile tries to steal.
• The crocodile and the explorer: one in the onesie, the other in shorts, a shirt and a bush hat, with binoculars round their neck.
• Two crocodiles: for a couple or a group of friends, the same costume several times over makes for a great group look.

More pairings are gathered in our article on couples Halloween costumes, and our guide adult animal onesies: which animal to choose compares the crocodile with the other styles.

Care and safety

Machine wash the onesie at 30 °C on a delicate cycle, then air dry it, as the product page says. Our tips for keeping flannel soft are in how to wash and care for fleece pyjamas.

Two things to know before ordering:

• Slippers are not included: the ones you can see in the photos don't come with it.
• The style comes in adult sizes only, from S to XL.

A roomy onesie, with a tail trailing behind you, can easily get close to a flame. The London Fire Brigade recommends keeping candles away from anything that can catch fire, clothing included, and presents LED candles as a safer alternative (London Fire Brigade, Candles).

In a nutshell

The shop's adult crocodile onesie is an olive-green flannel one-piece, with a yellow belly, back scales, a tail and a toothy hood. It comes in S to XL, in a roomy unisex cut: take your usual size, or the next one if in doubt. Wear it to a themed party, a hen or stag do, at Halloween or simply on the sofa, on your own or as a duo with a shark or a monkey. Find it on the Crocodile Onesie page, or browse all the styles in the shop.

Cover photo: Steve Slater / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)