Pajamas in public...

[Amy Jeanne]

There were plenty of trends in the Era that I think were unattractive -- all those twenties college boys flouncing around in pants that made them look like Harold Teen, for one.

lol

 

[MisterCairo]

Sorry, but some people happen to believe that decorum still has a place in society even in 2012. Manners. Politeness. Respect. Decency. Taste.

Sorry, but somethings NEVER go out of style. People can dress like Lady GaGa if they like, or wear pyjamas outside, but I reserve the right to look down my nose at it.

Seems to me, it's the idea of separating the day into outfits that's died. I mentioned morning and evening dress, Lizzie mentioned school and play clothes, work and out clothes, Flicka, day and night clothes. Seems to me, as time goes on, we simply subdivide less and less. Many visions of the future feature a population of a single outfit that suits all purposes. Maybe they were right? Some hybrid of Lady Gaga catwalk, high fashion, and pajamas, and you'd nail the costume of half the sci-fi movies of the golden era that I can think of. Maybe TFL has it all wrong? It's not a regression to barbarism, it's the way to the future! It is 2012, after all. All we need are hover cars and all-in-one meal pills - ray guns...

 

[LizzieMaine]

lol

Precisely. If you're going to wear pants like that out in public, you better also be wearing a jumper, a neckerchief, and a Dixie Cup hat to go with them.

 

[Flicka]

I have aesthetic objections to plenty of things. You should hear me talk music. It doesn't mean I think it should be illegal to buy Nickelback albums... Oh wait, I do!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Pants that wide came back in style briefly in the 90s -- in jeans form. "Skaters" wore them. They were made by a company called "JNCO", if memory serves me correctly. I owned several pairs -- at one point it was a bit of contest to see who could wear the widest pair. I once wore them to my factory job and they asked me not to wear them again because they were a safety hazard. Rightly so. And boy were they ridiculous! lol

I had a pair about twice as wide as this -- they were really billowy. Almost like a 50s circle skirt that dragged on the floor.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Luxury haberdasher James Oviatt's glorious solution (December, 1937):

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Pants that wide came back in style briefly in the 90s -- in jeans form. "Skaters" wore them. They were made by a company called "JNCO", if memory serves me correctly. I owned several pairs -- at one point it was a bit of contest to see who could wear the widest pair. I once wore them to my factory job and they asked me not to wear them again because they were a safety hazard. Rightly so. And boy were they ridiculous! lol

I had a pair about twice as wide as this -- they were really billowy. Almost like a 50s circle skirt that dragged on the floor.

I remember seeing those pants back then. I used to call them clown pants because that's what I thought the kids looked like when wearing them. lol

 

[Edward]

Pants that wide came back in style briefly in the 90s -- in jeans form. "Skaters" wore them. They were made by a company called "JNCO", if memory serves me correctly. I owned several pairs -- at one point it was a bit of contest to see who could wear the widest pair. I once wore them to my factory job and they asked me not to wear them again because they were a safety hazard. Rightly so. And boy were they ridiculous! lol

I had a pair about twice as wide as this -- they were really billowy. Almost like a 50s circle skirt that dragged on the floor.

I remember skater kids wearing those right into the early 2000s here in London. You'd see a little boy and think, "Jinkies, he's wearing a skirt", then he'd move and it'd be "oh, my mistake - it's culottes". The main thing I remember was them wearing them so low that their feet were totally hidden by trousers dragging on the ground all round. Then when it rained the denim would suck it up like a sponge and they'd be soaked to the thighs. Always amused me/ Still does now that my trouser legs are each as wide as two of what I used to wear sewn together.

 

[Flicka]

Other fashions I remember that should never have been: jeans tucked into socks in the '80s, silicone drops to make your hair look unwashed during the grunge era in the '90s, anything ever worn by the Mötley Crüe... Not to mention the whole heroin chic look. *shudder*

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a 35-year-old today who would own up to having worn those clown pants twenty years ago.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I remember skater kids wearing those right into the early 2000s here in London. You'd see a little boy and think, "Jinkies, he's wearing a skirt", then he'd move and it'd be "oh, my mistake - it's culottes". The main thing I remember was them wearing them so low that their feet were totally hidden by trousers dragging on the ground all round. Then when it rained the denim would suck it up like a sponge and they'd be soaked to the thighs.

People just don't make the *effort* nowadays.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Other fashions I remember that should never have been: jeans tucked into socks in the '80s...

I had no idea this was actually a style trend, but my brother used to do this c. 1983 and to this day his family nickname is "Little Pantleg."

 

[Flicka]

I had no idea this was actually a style trend, but my brother used to do this c. 1983 and to this day his family nickname is "Little Pantleg."

If you leaf through my sister's year book from her American high school (class of '89), all the guys have stone washed jeans tucked into white sport socks. Boys here did it too. Very peculiar fashion.

 

[Justin B]

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a 35-year-old today who would own up to having worn those clown pants twenty years ago.

My mother wouldn't allow me to buy JNCOs, even though I desperately wanted them because all my friends wore them. I got stuck wearing Levis and Wranglers...

Boy did I look silly. LOL

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a 35-year-old today who would own up to having worn those clown pants twenty years ago.

I'm 36 and I just did lol

I love making fun of myself in the past -- I was a right fashion maven in the 80s and 90s (need sarcasm tag here). I crack myself up when I look at old photos of my outfits lol

I admit to wearing these, too. Basically just pajama bottoms with elastic around the ankles:

 

[PoohBang]

^^ the Horror....

 

[Edward]

[video=youtube;AWLBljvEG-M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWLBljvEG-M[/video]

Other fashions I remember that should never have been: jeans tucked into socks in the '80s, silicone drops to make your hair look unwashed during the grunge era in the '90s, anything ever worn by the Mötley Crüe... Not to mention the whole heroin chic look. *shudder*

I wish I still had the figure for heroin chic.

 

[PoohBang]

This should be a happy compromise for everyone

 

[Flicka]

I wish I still had the figure for heroin chic.

My dislike for the style might stem from the fact I never had it...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Luxury haberdasher James Oviatt's glorious solution (December, 1937):

Incidentally (and this is 100% true): W.C. Fields ordered one of these (in terrycloth) for himself. Can you imagine what he must have looked like in it?