A disgruntled librarian packs it up and leaves fabulous New York City behind,
going on random global adventures,
while simultaneously promoting literacy
and spreading the love of the written word.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

the blog of bad pants

there is a plague that is sweeping the city of cusco, and that plague is bad pants.  bad bad pants.  now, don't get me wrong blog readers, it's not los peruanos that are wearing the bad pants.  in fact, i feel that the people of peru are a very nicely dressed people: nothing too flashy, keeping it respectable.  sometimes you'll see women in traditional peruvian costume, typically while holding a baby llama and asking you if you want to pay to have your picture taken with them, but it is the gringos who are wearing the bad pants, and the gringos alone.

i have made it my mission to capture these pants on film whenever i encounter them.  for you, dear blog readers, for you.  because i am that devoted.

the pants in question are a multi-colored sort of hippie granola-crunching pajama pant mash-up.  this has lead the bolshevik and i to ask the question, "why do people who supposedly love nature and the outdoors choose to dress so poorly?"

now, we have "hiking clothes," which are useful clothes made out of breathable quick dry materials for use while hiking in the mountains.  they aren't the most fashionable things: khaki colored pants with many pockets, solid colored sporty looking tops, but there is a functionality there.  however, these bad pants seem to serve no purpose.  maybe they are comfortable?  i mean, they look comfortable to sleep in. but i wouldn't be caught dead wearing them in public.  i'd rather be wearing my gym clothes in public, at least people would think that i am a motivated active person, as opposed to a slovenly bum.

(please note that in the photo at left, these two guys were traveling together, wearing identical bad pants.  this is a double faux pas.  one time in the same area i saw a guy in the bad pants with a matching shirt.  he looked like he had escaped from some sort of hippie prison/commune.  sadly i didn't have my camera to capture that one)

now, these pants are for sale at many of the little tourist shops in peru.  i've seen miles and miles of boldly colored pants for sale.  this leads me to a "chicken vs. egg" type question.  do gringos wear the pants because peruvians are selling them, and the gringos think it is traditional peruvian garb?  OR, have gringos brought their own ugly pants to peru, thinking that in mountain towns you must dress like a fool.  and then the peruvians caught on, seeing a potential tourist market, and began selling them here, along with the typical trinkets and jewelry?

either way i hope the peruvians are having a good laugh, (and making some good money) selling ugly pants to gringos, that they themselves would never wear.

5 comments:

  1. Hideous & atrocious. Shame on those hippie gringo bastards! And thank you for your relentless dedication to making the world a more beautiful place.

    Now excuse me while I throw up something resembling those pants....

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  2. Did you ever think that they are more comfortable then Jeans, which hang on your hips and rub on your bones, can cut off circulation when you are sitting down cross-legged? These pants I believe have an elastic waist like sweatpants. How many of those do you see walking around the world? Opinions are one thing Judgments are another. You might want to preface your statements “With this is my opinion.” Dare to be different. What's your favorite color? It is probably different than others. Does that make it wrong? I won't be back so I unfortunately won't see a response. I was simply cruising the web and won’t be book marking this page. Keep traveling but try to have an open mind instead of a narrow judgmental one. You’ll probably enjoy your trip more. But then again, this is my opinion Ta.

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  3. listen here hippie, obviously the opinions expressed in my blog are my personal opinions. that's what a blog is. there's no need for prefacing, that would be redundant.

    did you accidentally stumble across this blog while trying to buy yourself a pair of plaid rainbow pants online?

    you may think i'm judgmental for having opinions on fashion (which is an industry entirely based on opinion), but we live in a society with certain standards. for example, if you needed a doctor or lawyer and found they were dressed like a clown, you'd probably seek a second opinion as opposed to praising them for their sense of comfort and whimsy.

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  4. i am from cusco and i've seen these pants around for about 15 years, i think "los chalones" made them popular, we call chalones to all the jews that come here, they love them pants, and they look nice on them. but some other peeps look like clown when they wear them, especially gringos.

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  5. i find your comment very offensive, as i am jewish (and i would never be caught dead in those pants) also, i do not know the word "chalones" but i assume it is negative. why do we need to make negative words for people just because they have a different religion?

    how do you know that it's jewish people wearing the pants? do you ask people, "oh, i see you are wearing clownish pants ... do you believe in Jesus Christ?"

    i firmly believe that all people look silly in those pants, regardless of religious beliefs.

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