Zubaz pants were created by bodybuilders Dan Stock and Bob Truax as functional shorts for weightlifters, but quickly became a fashion fad in the early 1990s. The pants featured wide legs and bold colors, and were popularized by professional athletes. The trend faded but may be making a comeback.
Zubaz are a kind of pant that exploded onto the pop scene in the early 1990s. They were one of those fashion fads that were beloved by the wearer and frequently feared by others. Zubaz featured wide legs pinned to the ankle, and they were available in a choice of bold colors in addition to the traditional black and white zebra stripes.
The official pronunciation is “zoo-buzz.” A shortened version, “zuba,” came to mean “in his face,” a salute to the fact that the cloth was brightly colored and featured large, strong patterns. The fixed leg shape and elasticated waist that was designed to allow maximum movement is also said to emphasize the masculine figure.
Zubaz were created by two bodybuilders, Dan Stock and Bob Truax, as a functional short designed for weightlifters. The goal was to create a pair of shorts that would stretch and flex with the body during a workout. The line quickly expanded to become a long pant that left the weight room and began to hit the streets of New York, Chicago, and many other American cities and suburbs. In part, the popularity of the Zubaz pants was spurred by the fact that professional athletes, and often entire sports teams, began wearing them. Things really took off when NFL quarterbacks like Dan Marino, John Elway, and Troy Aikman appeared in public sporting the bright stripes. The company is reported to have sold $100 million US dollars (USD) worth of products in 1991 alone.
Aimed at male athletes, sports logos began to emerge on Zubaz products and it didn’t take long for sports fans, both men and women, to want to identify themselves with their favorite team to follow the style. However, like all clothing fads, wild pants were ubiquitous for a few years, then disappeared from the fashion scene. But like many styles, the retro bug may have brought the trend back. Stock and Truax have apparently tested the waters and deduced that the world is ready, once again, for a Zubaz invasion.
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