# Clothing that makes you skreek out **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095 "2005-12-04T22:40:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/61 "2005-12-09T16:53:00Z")
Just recently: A small girl in a pair of those flappy cropped “pants” everyone is wearing lately–in camouflage print. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/62 "2005-12-09T17:18:21Z")
Those “flappy cropped pants” are called gauchos. One day last month two women wore them to work, the next thing I know they’ve suddenly exploded all over the place. The last time I saw gauchos was 1977. They’re ba-a-a-a-ack! Some people think they’re chic and stylish. Most people are not fooled. They shake their heads with pity as the gaucho victims stroll by, oblivious to their own fashion victimhood. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/63 "2005-12-09T17:20:08Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Those “flappy cropped pants” are called gauchos. One day last month two women wore them to work, the next thing I know they’ve suddenly exploded all over the place. The last time I saw gauchos was 1977. They’re ba-a-a-a-ack! > > Some people think they’re chic and stylish. Most people are not fooled. They shake their heads with pity as the gaucho victims stroll by, oblivious to their own fashion victimhood. They’re the _wrongest_ fashion of all. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/64 "2005-12-09T17:22:31Z")
I have to go with kilts. On men or women. Never seen one one anybody and thought “yeah, that works.” I’d also like to second the ??? in regard to pleated pants. Unless you buy them 9 sizes too big, they’re an absolutely classic look. Most tailored suit pants are pleated. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/65 "2005-12-09T19:19:32Z")
Pleated pants add pant where you don’t want to add pant. They make you look fat. They make you look… ill-shaped. Why do you want to look like there’s more you there than there is? Flat-front pants are much more tailored-looking. All of my suits that have pants (I won’t call them pant-suits, I won’t) have flat front pants. Most tailored suit pants for younger women have flat front pants. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/66 "2005-12-09T19:26:08Z")
Sweatshirts with appliqued kittens on them, as usually worn by old ladies w/sausage curls. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/67 "2005-12-09T19:38:05Z")
> [@Corrvin](#): > > I wear low-riding pants, and while I don’t have a huge belly (we’re talking the legendary “need to lose five pounds” here), those pants magnify every jiggly quarter-inch of it. > > Conversely, though, when I feel like a bloated moo-cow, it’s not comfortable to wear higher-waisted pants and be sawed slowly in half every time I sit down. > > Hows about I give you permission to come and slap me if you catch me in low-riding pants _without_ a loose, long shirt over them? > > All that said-- I loathe ponchos. You have no excuse for buying them, and if someone made you one, all it says is “The person who made this is too chicken to make sleeves or do math.” > > Corrvin A big word-for-word DITTO to ya, **Corrvin**! Also, I have a “thing” about VPL. And white pants on just about anyone. And those shrugs that **Auntie Pam** mentioned - they just look like one step away from wearing your bra on the outside. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/68 "2005-12-09T19:58:07Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > Also, I have a “thing” about VPL. Oh, I hate that too. Most bikinis give girls this horrible line across the middle of each butt cheek and I can’t beleive people don’t check the rear view before they leave the house. That said, it’s tough to find undies that don’t leave a line if you don’t want to wear a thong. Just saw a WNTW: woman wearing capri pants with ankle boots. So the pants ended an inch above where the boots stopped. I think the only reason to wear ankle boots is because, under proper pants, they look like real boots without the bulk. With capris they look horrid… ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/69 "2005-12-09T20:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > As for all the hate on toe socks… more for me! I love my toe socks! Me too! I love my flip-flops and toe socks allow me to wear them all year long! only when I’m not going out in public, of course ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/70 "2005-12-09T20:27:10Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > I have to go with kilts. On men or women. Never seen one one anybody and thought “yeah, that works.” > > I’d also like to second the ??? in regard to pleated pants. Unless you buy them 9 sizes too big, they’re an absolutely classic look. Most tailored suit pants are pleated. Maybe for men. Unless you’re a \*pencil-thin \* woman, pleated pants add 15 lbs to you. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/71 "2005-12-09T20:47:28Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Maybe for men. Unless you’re a \*pencil-thin \* woman, pleated pants add 15 lbs to you. Pleated pants for men are completely different animals from what are called “pleated pants” for women. [Recent past thread on the subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=321825&highlight=pleated). On men, especially in suit pants, the pleats should not poof even a little bit. If the pleats do poof out, either that size/style of pleated pants don’t fit, or you have just the right build for flat-front pants. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/72 "2005-12-09T20:48:46Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Those “flappy cropped pants” are called gauchos. One day last month two women wore them to work, the next thing I know they’ve suddenly exploded all over the place. The last time I saw gauchos was 1977. They’re ba-a-a-a-ack! > > Some people think they’re chic and stylish. Most people are not fooled. They shake their heads with pity as the gaucho victims stroll by, oblivious to their own fashion victimhood. Yeah, I saw a college-aged girl with them and she was referring to them as gauchos and as if they were a new idea!! Just how long will it take for corduroy gauchos (buttoned at the knee) paired with argyle sox to come back? It seems to me I saw a recent picture of Madonna and she had velveteen gauchos on, with high boots. :eek: My oogy fashion? [The stiletto Manolo Blahnik Timberland.](http://www.worldbid.com/showrooms/details.htm?itemID=17375&session=) And wedge sandals a la Chrissie on Three’s Company. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/73 "2005-12-09T20:55:05Z")
Re: capri pants on women, from this hetero man’s view – I don’t really mind whether or not a woman is short or tall, or a teen or 40-something. What makes capri pants look nice or inappropriate has everything to do with the beauty of the body parts capri pants leave exposed – the calves, ankles, and insteps (sometimes the heels, too, depending on the shoes). A woman with nice legs and ankles can wear capris all day, sez I. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/74 "2005-12-09T21:12:30Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > Sweatshirts with appliqued kittens on them, as usually worn by old ladies w/sausage curls. Hey! My mother wears those! ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/75 "2005-12-09T21:40:57Z")
I hafta add a combo I haven’t seen since moving from SoCal: Ugg boots worn with shorts! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/76 "2005-12-09T21:47:41Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I hafta add a combo I haven’t seen since moving from SoCal: Ugg boots worn with shorts! Yeah, I think it’s Mukuluks with shorts now. Uggs are so last season. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/77 "2005-12-09T21:57:03Z")
**Flip-flops** on anyone who is not at home or at the beach. I sincerely do not understand this trend. Flip-flops are not acceptable footwear for most places. However, they are a better alternative than **slippers** , which I see people wearing now in very strange places, like the mall or the grocery store. Usually these go along with women wearing pajama pants. I realize that no one is concerned with anything by comfort anymore, but geez. I second (third? fourth?) the sweatshirts with applique. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/78 "2005-12-10T00:11:50Z")
Extremely baggy saggy pants with a lot of visible underwear. Yecchh. Also: the visible parts of thongs. Both of the above make me feel that I’m looking somewhere I shouldn’t be–and I am. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/79 "2005-12-10T04:38:22Z")
In 1977, I was a freshman in college. A woman my age in my dorm complained about an older grad student on her floor who didn’t get along with the undergrad youngsters. Her worst sin, besides being the wrong side of 30, was wearing gauchos. I saw her in the cafeteria once, wearing those corduroy gauchos they had in the '70s that were unsurpassed for ugliness. The older woman looked stern and severe, which was not complimented by her attire. The day last month I wanted to compliment my co-worker on her black stiletto boots, I just couldn’t because her pink gauchos ruined the look. She got offended because I didn’t fall in love with her hideous pink gauchos. (Usually fashion is a game played by several women at my workplace, involving many mutual compliments. For someone to actually criticize another’s look is unheard of. I’ve been playing for a few months now, but this was the only time I failed to compliment anyone.) As evidence that gauchos are now chic, she cited another woman in our office, the chic-est one of us all, a young African-American woman who is slim and always looks perfect, who that day had happened to wear black gauchos that actually looked good on her. Yeah, but how is pointing out that the item you wear looks good on someone else supposed to help your own fashion disaster? At least the fabrics used for gauchos nowadays are soft and flowing, an improvement on the really ugly '70s version. I’m going to give her one of those maté gourds with the metal straw. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095/80 "2005-12-10T06:10:53Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > Pants where the seat of the pants is at the wearer’s knees. It is the stupidest, most uncomfortable-looking and most unflattering look I’ve ever seen. Resounding second (or third, or three hundredth) to that!!! They make every wearer look like an oompa loompa. They make guys who are really small and boy-like look even skinnier and more feminine, and men who are big look clumsy and overweight, even if they’re not. And they make everyone look oddly proportioned. It’s especially weird when it’s one of those matching shorts and shirt-jacket-thing set. A close second is that weird long shirt/micro mini dress over jeans look. It just looks clumsy and odd. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-that-makes-you-skreek-out/334095.md?page=5)