# Why did everyone roll up the bottoms of their jeans in the 50's?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 18, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728 "2002-06-18T18:48:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728/21 "2002-06-21T17:52:53Z")

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They were probably 100% cotton back then. Even if they were pre shrunk they would still shrink some more.

Shrinking doesn’t all happen the first time they are dried.

The neighbor girls used to wet the jeans and wear them until they dried to get that perfect fit.;p

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728/22 "2002-06-21T20:52:53Z")

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\<- ties an onion to his belt, which was the style at the time.

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Slithy Tove \*  
> \*\*Plus, when you rolled them up, you could show off the plaid flannel lining! \*\*

What the hell kind of jeans did you wear?

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728/23 "2002-06-21T22:16:07Z")

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They were in fact reversable pyjamas.

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-everyone-roll-up-the-bottoms-of-their-jeans-in-the-50s/114728/24 "2002-06-21T23:17:52Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Padeye \*  
> \*\*\<- ties an onion to his belt, which was the style at the time.
> 
> What the hell kind of jeans did you wear? \*\*

Damn, they still make them!

[http://dickiesonsale.com/jeans3.htm](http://dickiesonsale.com/jeans3.htm)

When a man outgrows his youthful vanitiy and assumes the mantle of adulthood, the Dickie aisle beckons.

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