Parachute pants
Parachute pants, originally known as flight pants, are a style of trousers characterized by the use of nylon, especially ripstop nylon.
History
In the original tight-fitting style of the early 1980s, "parachute" referred to the pants' nylon material, similar to a
The clothing company Bugle Boy manufactured the pants in the early 1980s, although they were not the first company to manufacture parachute pants[citation needed]. The company Panno D'or states that they invented them, though this claim is not confirmed[citation needed]. However, Bugle Boy was the company that made them immensely popular, seemingly overnight. Bugle Boy parachute pants are identifiable by having the word "Countdown" on a small tag above the rear pocket's zipper.
Teenage boys were the main wearers of parachute pants. They typically cost $25-$30 a pair. During the height of their popularity, 1984–1985, boys wearing parachute pants were fairly common. Bugle Boy did make pants for girls and women, though they remained most popular with males. They went out of fashion almost as quickly as they arrived, with the fad lasting about two years. Their slim, fitted look was eventually overtaken by much looser, baggy-style pants.[1] Parachute pants played a pivotal role in 1980s fashion.[citation needed]
Functional clothing
Early breakdancers occasionally used heavy nylon to construct
When manufactured and marketed as fashionable clothing, parachute pants were often constructed with lightweight synthetic fabrics, making this variety of pants more suitable for fashion than breakdancing.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Mansour, David. "Parachute pants". From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. p. 353.