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Toughskins

12 October 2009 19 Comments

357046025_9c91171a14Does anyone remember these?

If you aren’t familiar with them, Wiki describes them as:

Toughskins are a line of clothing sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co. which were primarily marketed for their durability. When launched, the line consisted just of children’s jeans and they were sold with the guarantee that children would grow out of them before the pants wore out. Toughskins had reinforced knees for longer wear and came in slim and regular sizes. Sears eventually expanded the line to include corduroy jeans, denim jackets, and men’s work clothes. Toughskins were a blend of Dacron Type 59 polyester, DuPont 420 nylon, and cotton.

As you can see, not exactly high fashion apparel. The brand came out in the early to mid 70′s and I was lucky enough to be:

  1. Too old to be caught dead in them.
  2. Too much of a girly-girl to even need clothing with extra knee durability.

My sister, however was not as lucky as I was. Back then it was either Levi’s, Lee’s or hide. Poor girl was such a tomboy that it was all my mom would buy for her and I believe Toughskins to be at the root of our perpetual sibling rivalry.

Funny how things work out though. I bought my son 4 new pairs of  nylon athletic pants three weeks ago. Three out of the 4 pairs now have holes at the knees. When I told a friend about this, she suggest patching up the knees. Which brought to mind visions of my sister with patches all over her jeans. And what came to mind after that? My mom’s solution. 

Toughskins.

I don’t think I can do it.

1

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19 Comments. Click to leave one of your own!

  • October 12 2009 at 10:21 PM Brittany at Mommy Words
    @ on twitter.
     said:

    Oooh my comment luv is working!!! There are so many things that will come back and for boys, I gotta say, this is not a bad idea. I just picked through a bunch of free and very played in boy pants for my 18 month old to go outside in so that I will not care when they come home ripped an stained. I could sue some tough skins!

    As you were, I do not have to worry abut Sophia. It takes a miracle to get her into pants and she hates to get anything on her gorgeous attire!

    You are not old, my dear….
    .-= Brittany at Mommy Words´s last blog ..Baby Name Faux Pas =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 12th, 2009 at 10:29 PM

    I kept wondering why your latest link wasn’t showing!

    I feel like sending his school the tab for new pants. They have the kids playing on the basketball blacktop lately instead of the grass. Grrrrrr

    [Reply]

  • October 12 2009 at 11:58 PM Dawn
    @ on twitter.
     said:

    That’s funny that you wrote this now…I was going through my son’s clothes today, trying to find some jeans and they ALL have holes in the knees. Even the new ones. I asked him how that happens.
    “It’s the ground,” he told me. Silly mommy. Of course it is.

    Too bad they don’t still make those. I’d buy a pair. Or two.
    .-= Dawn´s last blog ..Forget the bad mommy…I’m a BAD WIFE! =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 8:09 AM

    I looked and they still do make them!

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 12:01 AM Amanda
    @ on twitter.
     said:

    Blast from the past! I remember the ads on T.V. in the late seventies…

    Do you remember Wacky Packs? Wish they would bring them back…
    .-= Amanda´s last blog ..FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 8:11 AM

    I used to collect the Wacky Packs. How funny! They were pretty funny cards. Here’s an example of one for anyone who doesn’t know what they are:
    [img]http://www.popfi.com/wp-content/uploads/skimpy-peanut-butter.jpg[/img]

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 5:56 AM Theta Mom said:

    Blast from the past!!! I was more of an 80′s kid, but it’s all the same. The style back then was horrible!
    .-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..The Rush =-.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 6:30 AM DG at Diaryofamadbathroom said:

    I never had a pair, but my little brother lived in them. He had them in every heinous color you can imagine – forrest green, maroon, plaid. And for some reason, they were always too short. We lovingly refer to them as his “nifty pants”.
    .-= DG at Diaryofamadbathroom´s last blog ..I’m the Mom on the Planet of the Apes =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 8:12 AM

    They were brutally ugly back then. Even the denim didn’t look like real denim.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 6:44 AM *Michelle* said:

    OK, so I just spit out my coffee on DG’s comment of “nifty pants” and the “heinous” colors because I totally remember those, especially the forest green.

    I also remember kids dressing them up with those rodeo style shirts with the pearlescence snaps. neat!
    .-= *Michelle*´s last blog ..Priceless =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 8:13 AM

    I remember those shirts. Lovely era in fashion.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 9:21 AM beth aka confusedhomemaker
    @ on twitter.
     said:

    I like Land’s End because they have reinforced knees on my son’s school pants but they look nice. Not stiff. We’ve only had a few pairs of jeans wear in the knees but that was after 2 kids wearing them, hard living kids.
    .-= beth aka confusedhomemaker´s last blog ..Pretty in Pink =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 4:10 PM

    Maybe Sears will improve their version, since they own Land’s End now. I’ll have to check theirs out. Thanks.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 12:05 PM speakingfromthecrib said:

    my mother used to buy them for me – how embarrassing
    .-= speakingfromthecrib´s last blog ..THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT – AND I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT MY NOGGIN AGAINST THE HEADBOARD WHEN MY 80 LB LAB JUMPS ON MY BED AT 3 AM =-.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 4:11 PM

    I’m so sorry :)

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 4:04 PM blueviolet said:

    Thanks for the awful memory. I wore those stupid things with the crazy hard patches on the knees. My brothers did too and they still wore through those things. Toughskins ain’t that tough but they sho were ugly.

    [Reply]

    Nancy
    @ on twitter.


    Replied on : October 13th, 2009 at 4:11 PM

    They sho was ugly!!!!! I haven’t checked them out in awhile, but I cringe at the thought of them.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 4:22 PM LZ @ My Messy Paradise said:

    Oh yes, I remember them. They were so stiff (How stiff were they? he, he..) that they could practically stand up by themselves.
    I am at the right age where I think many if not most of the boys in m younger school days were wearing them.
    .-= LZ @ My Messy Paradise´s last blog ..Please tell me I wasn’t always so boring =-.

    [Reply]

  • October 13 2009 at 10:23 PM susan said:

    Don’t do it! I was one of the unfortuates to have had these growing up, and just the name sends a chill down my back. No more!!!
    .-= susan´s last blog ..You win some, you win some? =-.

    [Reply]

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