I’ve had this question for a while and I’ve asked various people. All I got back was blank stares. Anyhoo, in our area (Hudson Valley, NY) Sweet-Orrs were all the rage from about 1980 to 1983 or so. They were the pants you had to have; they were kind of an army pant with rectangular patch pockets on the butt and on the front. The back pockets had those straight flaps and on them was the coveted yellow Sweet-Orr label. They also made chino-type pants with a less-obtrusive yellow label. They came in khaki, black, grey but also purple, teal, magenta,…how I drooled over those. They were what I saved up money for.
Has anyone else ever heard of these or did the Sweet-Orr company target our town for their glut of pants? It worked, everyone had them for a few years there.
Ha, Yes. My cousin was from upstate NY (near Newburgh) and I remember her always wearing them in the early 80’s. We were around 10. I’m from central NJ, but I don’t think they were available here.
If she wore them with velour shirts she’s my soul sister ! I think I got my first pair when I was 12; they made their grand debut at a roller-skating party!! We wore uniforms to school but from my gym clothes you could have told I wasn’t the trendiest gal, so it was a real coup to actually show up in the lastest trend.
Oh, yes, even I wore the velour shirt. That was the height of fashion! Skating parties were such the big deal then, weren’t they? Oh no! It’s COUPLES ONLY! Let me get my comb out of my back pocket and make sure I’m ready!
OMG! Flashback. The pink comb in that stylin’ shape sticking out of the back of the Sweet-Orrs…I think it’s been long enough that I can say that I once skated a “Moonlight/couples only” skate with…my Mom!!
