Zubaz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zubaz (pronounced "zoo-baz" or "zoo-buz", though officially pronounced "zoo-buzz"[1]) are a brand of shorts and pants that became popular during the early 1990s. They were created by two bodybuilders, Dan Stock and Bob Truax, as a comfortable, functional short for weightlifting.
They hoped to make a short that would stretch and expand with the body during a workout. In a short time, the shorts became wildly popular in the United States. The Zubaz company sold $100 million worth of products in 1991 alone.
Although Zubaz began as a line of shorts, they were later developed into long pants, caps, shirts, and even diapers. The pants are tapered at the ankle, with the outer part of the leg being longer than the inner part. They have an elastic waistband to allow for greater flexibility and movement. The pants were originally created in a zebra print, but later began to be sold in almost any design imaginable.
Since the line targeted male athletes and weightlifters, the pants with sports team logos were very popular. Regardless of the specific design, Zubaz are almost always bright, flashy, and often ostentatious. The word Zubaz came to mean “in your face” among sports fans and athletes. The pants also were very revealing for men to wear and were indeed an "in your face" type of clothing.
Zubaz designed the uniforms of several Arena Football League teams in the early 1990's, including the Tampa Bay Storm and the now-defunct New Orleans Night. However, these designs were considered outlandish and were soon replaced.
The long pants were the most popular item in the product line. The pants are now regarded as a trend that has ended, and they are referred to as a “bad fad” by www.badfads.com. Despite the decline of its popularity, it is not uncommon to spot a rabid fan wearing Zubaz pants at a professional football game, usually bearing the same colors of the team he/she is rooting for. Zubaz's slogan was "Dare to be Different."
Zubaz manufactured "slider shorts." These shorts had the famous wild patterns at the bottom of the garment while the rest of the garment displayed the name and logo of the sport team and the Zubaz name.
In 2007, the founders of Zubaz resurfaced, offering a limited production release of the original classic Zubaz patterns.
