# Old Clothing brands **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344 "2009-10-27T20:37:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/61 "2014-03-06T15:40:28Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > YO! **Z. CAVARICCI!** AIN’T YOU EVER BEEN TO A CHESS KING? YO! I think those were only in fashion for a brief period spanning about the second half of 1989 through the end of 1990… at any rate, they didn’t appear until toward the end of my jr. year in high school, and were long gone by the time I hit college in 1991, or at least nobody wore them in college anyway. I guess people in backwaters may have worn them up through the mid-90s though. I looked through my friend’s tiny rural Iowa hick town 1994 highschool yearbook once- it was like some weird time capsule to mid-high school for me… but it was 6 years later! His 1994 graduating class stuff was what we’d worn in 1988 or so. What were those baggy-ass, brightly colored shorts and pants called? Jams? Those things were inexplicably popular, despite being colossally stupid looking even then. Now only middle-aged bodybuilder types and Hulk Hogan wear them. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/62 "2014-03-06T16:29:02Z")
Jams were big when I was in elementary school. The Limited used to sell a brand I loved, **Outback Red**. ---
**Author:** ![Mattie\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Mattie\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mattie_Blue)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/63 "2014-03-06T19:48:13Z")
40-some years ago, when I was junior high age, Bobbie Brooks was the height of fashion in my area. They went out of style, were bought by Garan and ended up as a plus size line in Walmart and now Dollar General. “Dribble off those Bobbie Brooks, let me do what I please” **Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp** ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/64 "2014-03-06T20:46:56Z")
Army-Navy, carried by A&N stores. I think they were just in the Mid-Atlantic states, but I bought a lot of clothes there. It wasn’t really military affiliated, but they were cheap and reasonably well made. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/65 "2014-03-06T23:38:45Z")
Tretorn shoes were all the rage at one point. I thought they were boring. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/66 "2014-03-07T00:01:05Z")
Husky Jeans ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/67 "2014-03-07T15:33:20Z")
> [@Mattie\_Blue](#): > > “Dribble off those Bobbie Brooks, let me do what I please” > **Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp** So that’s what that line means. Remember “potato boots”? I was in Grade 9 so around 1987. Also called “Desert boots.” I thought they were ugly as hell. Do Levi’s still make their 501 button-fly jeans? You had to cut the tab off to expose the buttons because that made them cool. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/68 "2014-03-07T16:42:00Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Remember “potato boots”? I was in Grade 9 so around 1987. Also called “Desert boots.” I thought they were ugly as hell. Were these the ones that were also called “chukka boots” with the soft crepe-y soles? Those were all the rage when I was in grade school (mid 70s). I loved mine! Actually, a quick GIS shows me that desert boots are the same as chukka boots, but the ones I’m referring to were called “wallabees” (I misremembered wallabees/desert boots/chukkas as being the same thing). Does anyone else fondly remember “[waffle stompers](http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5299633/il_570xN.92002296.jpg)”? You can’t find them anymore–I’ve looked! No particular brand, but they were brown suede hiking boots with waffle soles and red laces. I discovered I still have an old pair that still fit, but again in grade school these were the “must have” boot for both boys and girls. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/69 "2014-03-07T17:01:29Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Does anyone else fondly remember “[waffle stompers](http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5299633/il_570xN.92002296.jpg)”? You can’t find them anymore–I’ve looked! No particular brand, but they were brown suede hiking boots with waffle soles and red laces. I discovered I still have an old pair that still fit, but again in grade school these were the “must have” boot for both boys and girls. We called those “Grebs” and they were big when I was in Grade 3, IIRC. It looks like Swatch is still around - I found my old Swatch Watch and next time I go to Vegas I plan to take it to their store at Caesar’s Palace and get it working again. Those were the thing to have when I was 13. ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/70 "2014-03-08T17:11:52Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > … And I recall shirts with various Looney Tunes characters in gangster poses were pretty popular in the 1990s. Hey, I still have a few of those. 😃 _“One brand I used to wear off-the-rack back in the day was Gloria Vanderbilt. I know that her couture line is still available, but I never see her pret a porter anymore. Maybe I’m just not paying attention, though.”_ It looks like some stores still sell her jeans, but not nearly in the volume they sold in the 70s-80s (long past my high school days, but who’s counting?) Damn, I LOVED that brand, best fitting jeans I’ve ever worn, before or since. I used to call them “Glorious FannyBuilts”. \*“No Fear - At first, it was huge in various racing crowds because you had to know someone to get the clothing. Then, it became more mainstream and the death knell sounded when it was picked up by a major retailer. I believe they were sold off to a manufacturer with several brands, but they’ve lost their caché…” \* Yep, they sold them at Road America in the 80s. Good times… ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/71 "2014-03-08T17:35:35Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Were these the ones that were also called “chukka boots” with the soft crepe-y soles? Those were all the rage when I was in grade school (mid 70s). I loved mine! > > Actually, a quick GIS shows me that desert boots are the same as chukka boots, but the ones I’m referring to were called “wallabees” (I misremembered wallabees/desert boots/chukkas as being the same thing). > > Does anyone else fondly remember “[waffle stompers](http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5299633/il_570xN.92002296.jpg)”? You can’t find them anymore–I’ve looked! No particular brand, but they were brown suede hiking boots with waffle soles and red laces. I discovered I still have an old pair that still fit, but again in grade school these were the “must have” boot for both boys and girls. I adored my waffle stompers. My mother would always make nasty comments because she “knew” they shouldn’t be worn with shorts. About the only time I would take them off my feet the summer of '73, was to go swimming. Wallabees was the popular brand name, chukka was the style. Many brands offered chukkas. It just appeared to be a new spin on my beloved waffle stompers to me. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/72 "2014-03-08T17:37:36Z")
> [@HyacinthBucket](#): > > Hey, I still have a few of those. 😃 > > _“One brand I used to wear off-the-rack back in the day was Gloria Vanderbilt. I know that her couture line is still available, but I never see her pret a porter anymore. Maybe I’m just not paying attention, though.”_ > > (snip) > > \*“No Fear - At first, it was huge in various racing crowds because you had to know someone to get the clothing. Then, it became more mainstream and the death knell sounded when it was picked up by a major retailer. I believe they were sold off to a manufacturer with several brands, but they’ve lost their caché…” > \* > > Yep, they sold them at Road America in the 80s. Good times… Yep, I knew the race team that sold No Fear. You can still find GV jeans at Kohls. But that’s the only pret a porter of hers that I see any more. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/73 "2014-03-08T21:49:28Z")
> [@BKReporter](#): > > Howabout the Bart Simpson Underachiever tees. I had one in middle school. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wear a shirt with a Simpsons character on it since the mid-90s, though. I have a shirt that I got from Target several years ago with Maggie Simpson and “baby got back” on it. I usually wear it to bed though or under a sweater. I saw someone wearing a Bart Simpson button down the other day. The person (can’t remember if it was a man or a woman) pulled it off surprisingly well. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/74 "2014-03-08T22:16:08Z")
My jeans were Lee. My underwear was Munsingwear, my shirts were J C Penney, My tennies were USKeds. I didn’t own any other clothing. circa 1950. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/75 "2014-03-09T00:45:52Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Ain’t you youngsters ever heard of \*\*\*Buster Brown \*\*\*shoes? Or the X-Ray machines to check the fit? Anyone remember Red Ball Jets? Along with the Pendleton comment above, how about Woolrich? They were must have hunting jackets, in fire engine red. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/76 "2014-03-09T04:11:09Z")
How about [Banana Republic t-shirts](http://www.bellini.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/29836416251491640_usfjIxfS_f.jpg)? In the second half of the 80s, about the time Coca-Cola labeled shirts were also popular, you just had to have one of those BR t-shirts with the engraved wildlife illustration on the back. As usual, by the time I got one, it was passe. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/77 "2014-03-09T04:45:30Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > How about [Banana Republic t-shirts](http://www.bellini.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/29836416251491640_usfjIxfS_f.jpg)? In the second half of the 80s, about the time Coca-Cola labeled shirts were also popular, you just had to have one of those BR t-shirts with the engraved wildlife illustration on the back. As usual, by the time I got one, it was passe. I don’t remember the T-shirts, but I really miss the old-style BR catalog. I didn’t realize until many years later that they were copying the J. Peterman style (I get that one in the mail now) but I used to love the hand-drawn illustrations that made the clothes and accessories look so much cooler than mere photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/78 "2014-03-09T10:54:01Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Remember “potato boots”? I was in Grade 9 so around 1987. Also called “Desert boots.” I thought they were ugly as hell. I remember desert boots, only it was 1969 or so. They were the height of fashion then. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/79 "2014-03-09T13:59:18Z")
Ken Rosewall tennis shoes - de rigeur when I was in HS in the late 70s: > **[The Best Tennis Sneakers of the ’70s](https://www.complex.com/sneakers/2012/09/the-best-tennis-sneakers-of-the-70s)** > > Let’s take it back to the ’70s. A time that influenced modern tennis in a big way as the UT~ ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344/80 "2014-03-09T14:34:09Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > It looks like Swatch is still around - I found my old Swatch Watch and next time I go to Vegas I plan to take it to their store at Caesar’s Palace and get it working again. Those were the thing to have when I was 13. They have a whole store in Times Square. They looked cool but ticked loud as Hell; couldn’t sleep with it in my bedroom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-clothing-brands/515344.md?page=5)