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1980-85: When Dolfins Walked the Earth |
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1980-85: When Dolfins Walked the Earth |
What were Dolfins all about?
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It is hard to imagine these days that only recently (well, OK, 15 years ago)women were wearing a style of shorts that revealed every inch of the leg.The Dolfin brand of four-panel running shorts were introduced in 1979 andby summer 1980 had been adopted by beach culture in California as a cover-up.The shorts made it into the classroom in fall of 1980 (California autumnsare quite warm) and by spring of 1981 were all the rage in both high schooland college. The two original patterns were the two-color four-panel (type01) and solid four-panel (type 02).
1982 was much the same, with the addition of a vertical candystripe patternin various colors. By 1983, the market was full of inferior imitations butfashionable women only wore Dolfins. A V-panel style was introduced latein the year.
By 1984, the fashion was fading somewhat; but fortunately, rapidly-expandinggirl's sports programs in the high schools and colleges often adopted theDolfin as a uniform. By 1985, the Dolfin had disappeared from the classroom-- not so much that they were out of style, but more often from school boards'new dress codes that specifically forbade girls from wearing them! The shortssurvived as common summer wear once school was out, but the fashion had runits course, to be replaced first by the long "surf jams" of 1986-1989. Aftera brief revival with the oval-panel (type 11) in 1989, women's legs disappearedunder the long, sad, saggy, baggy fashions of the 1990s.
Dolfin remains a prominent producer of sportswear and competition swimsuits,but had had no mainstream fashion hits since then. Their products remainconfined to the track and the pool. No one has tried to bring back the 4-panelstyle; however, the pedalpushers from the same era have enjoyed a strongrevival in 1999. Hemlines for women's shorts have thankfully, risen backup; however, today's designs are square cut at the leg and lack theleg-lengthening effect of the notched, tapered sides of the Dolfin leg. Apair of Dolfin shorts, properly worn, could make even an short set of legslook good.
Will Dolfins ever come back? Nope. The Dolfins defined the early 1980s --just like poodle skirts defined the 50's -- and will be forever associatedwith that era. They were inextricably tied to sports. They rode a singularwave when girls and women's sports were first accepted and popularized. Sincethen, sports uniforms have become formalized and standardized. Some whichused Dolfins at the time -- like basketball and soccer -- now use long, baggyshorts. Others, like volleyball and track now use an almost swimsuit-likeleotard.
As fashion, dress codes in high schools still exist and will make a revivalthere impossible.
But the main reason we will not see a revival anytime soon is that "ugly"is in -- and ugly is what Dolfins are not. Ugly is "in" as fashion becauseof 1990s ideas of equality -- if we all can't be beautiful, then we'll hideeveryone under ugly clouds of clothing so we all look the same. It is trulythe decade of ugly fashion and confrontational attitudes -- where everyonehas to intimidate and look tough and "bad" and "ghetto" and high school hallsare filled with semigang wannabes. The beauty of woman in Dolfins is completelyout of place there.
Vintage Dolfin Shorts from the early 1980's
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| LtBlu - XS - $NFS | Rd/Wht-SM -$NFS | Yel- SM - $NFS | Blu/Wht- M - $150 |
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Authentic Dolfin
Shorts from the early '80s |
| RCS-OP-M- $40 | BCS- SM - $NFS | LtBlu - XS - $NFS | NFS-Not for sale |
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Links
Info courtesy pcm17
