You know you want it: karate jeans
Filed under: CELEBRITY STYLE, Fashion, Celebrity, Best of the Season, Denim
People are funny, aren't they? No matter how well you know someone, inevitably he or she will drop some bomb that manages to completely floor you. The reason I bring this up is that about a week ago my boyfriend -- who is, by the way, much more of a lover than a fighter -- revealed that he used to take karate lessons when he was a kid.
At first I didn't believe him. But lo and behold, after few hilarious crescent kicks in our living room, I started to come around if for no other reason than to hear more about his days in the strip mall dojo of Williamsburg, Virginia.
His latest tidbit involves something called karate jeans. (Yes, fashion fans, karate jeans.)
They may look like your regular Levi's, but if you look closely -- yes, I'm asking you to look closely at Chuck Norris' crotch -- you will see that karate jeans are designed with a hidden gusset that gives the wearer a full range of leg movement making them perfect for on-the-street karate moves.
If you're anything like me then you're probably wondering what a person would need a pair of karate jeans for in the first place. Well, I'll just tell you what my boyfriend told me when I asked him the same question: "You know, in case I ever needed to drop a roundhouse kick on some baller in the parking lot of the bowling alley."
Uh, yeah. And by the way, what's this about being in the parking lot of a bowling alley?
Dale 7-15-2007 @ 2:10PM
FUNNY article and actually informative! Who'd a thunk it!?
Reply
Jennifer 7-15-2007 @ 2:55PM
Hilarious! You know, that takes me back to my days of karate and all the characters that came along woth it.
I love the idea of self defense and such, but when I was taking karate, we would all go out to a familiar dance club nearby afterwards.
There would ineveitably be a few karate students from another dojo there actually incorporating karate moves on the dance floor! Too ridiculous!
Now it makes me wonder if they were wearing "karate jeans".. Ha ha!
Reply
Stan 7-15-2007 @ 3:18PM
During several decades I worked as a carpenter, the fit of jeans in the crotch was among one of the most important considerations. During my heyday, I could easily rip open the inseam of jeans that had been through the wash more than a few times by taking a high step and flexing some combination of muscles in my strong bicyclists legs. While fitting jeans at a store, I often did splits to be sure they fit loosely enough to assure a full range of motion when climbing on new structures. I had considered the gusset fix, but just didn't want to spend that much time sewing and never found a shop to do if for me.
The real problem here is that white collar people design clothes for blue collar people. Sometimes it takes a long time for the tidy-whitey set to climb down from their posh bar stools to find out what the people who actually build their mansions wear to work, even when the designers make a handsome living helping other non-workers pretend to be working people.
Reply
not a fanatic 7-15-2007 @ 4:07PM
During my Karate days I remember when those actually came out. A couple of guys from my school bought them and swore by them. They actually didn't look that bad. They were kind of stylish at that time.
Reply
LarryJoe36 7-15-2007 @ 4:31PM
Years ago when I was a college student, I studied Tae Kwon Do. As soon as the kicking jeans came out I purchased several pairs and absolutely loved them! They were very comfortable and looked just fine matched with a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers. The jeans were made from cotton and a touch of spandex, and they immediately became a staple item in my college wardrobe. If you wear a pair for a day you will understand why people rave about them!
Reply
greg henderson 7-15-2007 @ 4:36PM
wow this is funny and just gives credence to everything old is new again i had these karate jeans in the 80s there great best jeans i ever had never riped em cuz instead of a regular crotch there is a diamond shape of material sewn where the crotch normally is i was especially tuff on cloths and i could never rip em
Reply
brithem 7-15-2007 @ 5:10PM
I remember action jeans! They used to advertise in magazines like "Inside Kung Fu" (maybe they still do, I stopped reading that when I was about 13). I never actually bought a pair, but I do remember that the "rationale" for buying them actually made sense to me at the time. The idea was that regular jeans were too restrictive to permit you to kick as freely as you could inside the dojo. So if you actually got into a fight in real life, you might not be able to use "all of your skills", because those darn Levis you were wearing were just too tight. It seems utterly silly now, but at 12 or 13 years old it made perfect sense.
Reply
Bob 7-15-2007 @ 5:13PM
So, who's gonna tell Chuck he looks funny in those jeans?
Reply
Peter Gozinya 7-19-2007 @ 10:03PM
Actually I think these would be great and extremely comfortable riding a motorcycle. The normal jeans many times fit too tight and it feels like the seam is cutting your scrotum in half.
Reply
marian 7-15-2007 @ 6:32PM
For comforts sake,(and real life), I'd suggest we all own at least two pair.
By the way Ill take two Chuck Norris's any day. !!!!????
Reply
gary 7-15-2007 @ 6:40PM
I bought another type of jeans for riding. the are called diamond cut jeans . the were great and are very comfortable down there, plenty of room for the boys.
Reply
Salude 7-15-2007 @ 7:07PM
AHAHAHAHAH! Priceless.
Reply
John 7-15-2007 @ 7:28PM
i see no reason to corn-husk butter-brew the marketing and especially the article. the pants are designed to climb two story ladders with ease. full-grown men are expected to take interest. glowering children of fake tatoos just get back with the women and children so we can catch up again.
Reply