I'm not particularly fond of the hip hugger style of today - it's the rare body that can pull off the look. More often than not, it's just plain unsightly. The late 1970's had its share of ugly denim fashion - the uber tight "spray on" jeans and slacks for men were borderline pornographic. I think even women will agree that, generally, a man doesn't look good in a pair of slacks so tight you can tell what religion he is (to quote Robin Williams). In 1978, there was a very fine line between a pair of jeans and a bodystocking. This is not a good look for most men.
Back the 1970s, girls would soak their jeans in a bath tub and then put them on wet so that they would dry up to look and feel like a second skin. Somehow, this was an attractive look for women IMHO. However, the sight of a gaberdine wedgie on a man is just horribly, horribly wrong.
I'm sure Robert Plant looked just great in his painted-on jeans, but he's a rock star and the rules don't apply like they do for everyday schmoes. I mean, spandex pants were the rage for hairbands in the 80's, but that didn't mean guys had a license to walk around in spandex (thank God). The rule of thumb in the late 70's was the tighter the better. Read the ad above: "... The fit is so snug and provocative, you'll even feel sexy wearing them." Evidently, the girls were diggin' it then.
C'mon, ladies. Was the sight of a male camel-toe (i.e. the ca-male toe) attractive? The outline of the male genitalia in his skin tight disco pants was pretty bad, and I think it goes without saying these guys were going commando. But you've also have to give a little respect to those guys back then - they were putting it out there and they didn't give a damn. The chicks were liking it, and that's what mattered. It was macho and perfectly reflected the sexual revolution. Truth be told, I'd rather see a comeback of the tight pants for men than the ultra baggy look that was real popular not too long ago.
First: Girls in the 50s soaked in tubs, not girls in the 70s. We had "Ditto Jeans" in rainbow colors. We also had Jordache...girls in the 50s only had Levi's, so they would sit in the tub trying to shrink them.
ReplyDeleteSecondly - men looked really great in Angel Flights - the pants of the the Disco Era. Most didn't wear them in strangulation sizes - just your local Tony the Dancer would. Guys dressed up then, (compared to now) and they looked pretty good!!
They had to stay away from open flames though...that polyester melted pretty fast.
I don't know about anyone else, but I wear *exactly* the same outfit that the bloke in the second photo is wearing.
ReplyDeleteJust like Einstein had 10 suits all the same so he didn't need to worry about what to wear, I have ten jump suits, medallions and all, so that I can just get up and go every day.
Where ever I go, everyone is wowed!
barbara- The whole soaking in the tub thing has always been an urban legend of sorts - I've never known anyone to do it, just heard of it being done. Thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm not really slamming the Angel Flight style - it was "the look" for a few years, no denying it. What I'm focusing on here is the trend to wear them so tight that the male anatomy was on full display.
Richard, that bloke in the second photo is none other than Tony Orlando... and Telma is not doing a good job of being discrete - she's eyeing his goods pretty intensely.
"Lord, I love that lady (not man) wearin' tight fittin' jeans."
ReplyDelete- Conway Twitty
And if anyone knew about tight fittin' jeans on a woman, it was Conway
My man Conway is indeed the authority on the subject. "...Oh, darlin', how I'd love to lay you down."
ReplyDeleteWell Gil, the "good boys" wore them with enough slack so their mama's wouldn't complain.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we didn't date the "good boys"...
Well, you're assuming these were really for the ladies. Gay men have a slightly different relationship with "the package" than women and straight men. Of course, the 70s was really more about the Clone look (white t-shirt, mustache, jeans) than this polyester stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhile I look GREAT in tight pants... I do not prefer them.
ReplyDeleteI think all men should wear tight pants all the time. I hate the baggy pants that look like they have a load in the back of their pants. I like to see nice, sexy buns.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of getting those second skin jeans on...they were never soaked! You put them on dry, laid down on your bed, exhaled, and used a pair of pliers to force the zipper up. They did tend to stretch a bit as the day wore on, so they were ok comfort-wise. The high waist meant no "muffin-top" but the camel toe was always visible.
ReplyDeleteI wish these women's pants were back in style. I'm tired of the skinny jeans trend already.
ReplyDeleteAh, the 'women look great in tight clothes but men look bad' double-standard. I suspect if I search enough posts I'll find the 'gay men are icky but lesbians are hot' trope too. Straight man 101.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, my two oldest sisters soaked their levi's in the tub and wore them wet to shrink to fit. Pre-washed (read: pre-shrunk) were a big deal when they came out.
And last, after many years of martial arts and other movement forms, I have a great ass and body and I *hate* baggy jeans. Frankly, I don't care if other dudes are intimidated or uncomfortable. Oh yeah, and I wear a kilt, too. :-) My wife approves...