claudine hellmuth's blog: retro * whimsical art and illustration

a rant about shopping and fashion...

Today I open the new Victoria Secret Catalog and I gasped. What did I see?

I saw THIS!

Yes, my friends, horror of horrors -- stirrup pants have come back!

I can not even believe it. Immediately my 5th grade year flashed before my eyes where I wore stirrup pants and long striped shirts belted at the waist - almost every day.

Then I thought, maybe it's the VS catalog, they have been known to have some tacky clothes now and then. So I open the newest issue of Time and they have a spot on how leggings are back. yipes.

I think I'll have to get myself to the mall ASAP to stock up on boot cut jeans before all that is left are the skinny legs of stirrup pants and leggings, which might look flattering on super models but not on the every day person.

Maybe, just maybe, it won't catch on. Maybe everyone else will be as horrified as I am about the stirrup pant. We'll see!

:: posted @ 10:41 PM by claudine hellmuth::

COMMENTS:

Although I thought the "Out of Africa" look was kind of nice.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:06 PM

YIKES!!!! I can't wear those things. Of course they did come in handy about 13 or so years ago when I was pregnant and couldn't fit into maternity clothes (cuz I was not very big). I just got stirrups a size bigger and put a tunic over it and you could barely tell I was workin on a bebe. Well, if they can bring back all the mod fashions of the 70's, I guess the old stirrups comin back was bound to happen sooner or later.

# posted by

Babsarella : 11:08 PM

It should be against the law to wear stirrups unless you can proove you actualy own a horse....

# posted by

Carmi Cimicata : 11:11 PM

I'm just glad that stirrup pants are exclusive to women's fashion (or at least should be) and that I'll be able to get my good ole low-rise-boot-cut fit just the way I like 'em.

# posted by

Andrew Thornton : 11:15 PM

I'd look super horrible in those things:-). How do leggings work for a short person? Gee...

# posted by

Weichuen You : 11:55 PM

Are the pants low rise, midriff baring???

I am so tired of looking at "muffin top" young women squeezed in jeans so tight and low and all that extra flesh pillowing over the top of their thongs.

If the stirrups have enough spandex--- no that's a bad visual.

# posted by

Joanne S : 12:43 AM

That is so funny...and the other day I saw a woman wearing stirrup pants and I thought to myself, "Just how long has she been hanging on to those?" Little did I know that she was an the cutting edge of yet another fashion trend making a comeback!

# posted by

Jeanne : 12:48 AM

Oh yeah and the whole 80s looking leggings under the skirt too... if you look at Wet Seal, you will see that style they are trying to bring back.

REVOLT I SAY! LOL!

www.xanga.com/crafttealady

# posted by

Craft Tea Lady : 1:27 AM

What??? Those hideous things?

And in the VS catalog of all places...what a riot. What's this world coming to?

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:46 AM

I'm drawing the line at the shiney spandex ones girls used to wear with candies shoes...those should be outlawed for ever.
Let's hope it doesn't become a trend for men too...eg David Lee Roth My retina's may burn out!

# posted by

cathy h. : 5:05 AM

Oh no! Does that mean I'm going to have to start tying big things in my hair too?? ;-)
xo,
Tonia

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:28 AM

They're very popular in London, have been for a while.
Not only for skinny people...:0)
And guys wear the jeans version with a Liam Gallagher haircut...:D

Love your website, Claudine! Great style and very funny ideas!

# posted by

Unknown : 6:02 AM

this is catastrophic news! thanks for the warning.

# posted by

Kerri Jean : 9:44 AM

You are on to something with your comments about this trend. Just read USA Today's story on "Is today's fashion recycled or retro?" Among the horrors they say are coming back - cropped leggings, wide, wide belts (we called them cinch belts), Gaucho paints and Brooke Shields skinny-fit jeans. None of which do much for most of our figures.

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:03 AM

Oh my gosh...thanks for the heads up on the stirrup pants...I must go to the GAP ASAP and get some normal girl jeans, although no low cut, because that just isn't right either...

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:05 AM

I saw them in the Nordstrom catalog too but they called them 'footless tights' but it didn't fool me for a minute! I've seen the big belts too and the wrap-around belts...get out the aquanet hairspray - the 80's are back...with a vegeance. :)

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:30 PM

....Horror of horrors...RUN...not only that but a few nights ago Levis just released a commercial about 'skinny leg' jeans. Looks like we are getting hit on all sides. I knew something was up while shopping for my 13 yo that big changes were coming when I saw all the longish shirts and leggings which started cropping up at Target in the Spring...Yup..they are everywhere...time for us 'real' people to stock up on our favorite comfy clothes...because we may have to go on an archeological dig to find them.

Susie

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:33 PM

UGH! That's just about all I can muster....just, UGH! I'm sure lace tights and frilly socks are next. This was a very ugly time in my college days...UGH!

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:34 PM

AAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

# posted by

Dawn D. Sokol : 2:01 PM

Oh you've got to be kidding me! Those things were awful and still are!!!

# posted by

Bird On A Line : 3:20 PM

heh, i'm having flashbacks of fifth grade, too... what an awful time for fashion that was. stirrups are definitely a trend that should *not* be brought back.

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:34 PM

yikes indeed! Stirup pants should be reserved for riding horses and kept away from all other occassions at all costs!

# posted by

Bec : 8:35 PM

I guess what goes around comes around...but really...stirup pants...how unflattering and uncomfortable. Oh, well, I was never one for current style...just do my own thing.

# posted by

Sue Seibert : 9:10 PM

yep i just returned from CHA chicago. not only were there stirrup pants walking around on michigan ave, there were bubble skirts. of course they were being worn by girls to young to realize that they were hideous the first time around.

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:56 PM

LOL! OMG, Claudine I'm laughing so hard...I can't believe they're back this season.

I'm not surprised though...have you seen the sweaters from 5th grade, too??!! They're back in style.

And, coolots and knickers.

Yup. It's happening. Great googly moogly, it's happening.

# posted by

i *heart* paper : 9:56 PM

Stirrup pants!! But we haven't gotten rid of pants with words on the bum yet! They could mutate together into Stirrup Pants with words on the bum... : |

# posted by

Pickledog : 10:13 PM

Oh ppppplease, tell me it ain't so!! I've been waiting for several years for low-rise pants to go out of style. I'm long waisted so low-rise pants (called hip-huggers in my younger days) aren't flattering. But leggings.... I'm doomed....

# posted by

Debbie : 10:34 PM

oh dear...no good can come of this. we suffered through stirrup pants once, I can't believe people are willingly going back for more!

# posted by

zelia : 12:16 AM

I searched skirts thinking well, maybe it'll be a skirt year versus pants and found in Japan they have a fashion rage for see through skirts, no joking. All I did was search on Google skirts and I found a site that had pictures of women out and about in see through skirts! I'm not a prude and yet....I can't even imagine this! So I hope that at five years of age was the last time I'll ever see me in stirrup pants. I remember when I wore stirrup pants and I got in trouble my Mom would lift me up by the waist and deposit me in my bedroom, the stirrups were the key here to do it without a weggie! What a memory of stirrup pants, never had an inkling to wear them... guess I'll be unfashionable as always! Laura Lea

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:23 PM

Leggings I can stomach, but stirrups? What's next coulottes? What is the world coming to...

Thanks for the heads up Claudine you fashion diva...I knew you had awesome fashion sense when you put my husband in checkered pants on the commission you did for me....:)

# posted by

ac : 5:37 PM

Stirrup pants are very sexy, if you have the body for them. Looks like most women on this web site don't! HA HA.

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:09 PM