I dream of Genie pants
Adam and Ciko, Coney Island, NYC 2008
The 6th Annual Mundial de Baile had an exhibition at Harrods on Avenida Florida this year. When my Lover and I chanced upon it, we scoured the old photographs and film stills of Gardel, Tita Merello, Troilo, Castillo, among others, on display in glass cabinets, and had fun watching a horrible live guitar performance on stage.
As we were walking out, I stopped dead in my tracks, and gasped. Gathered all in one place, from all around the gigantic city of Buenos Aires, were shop stands selling tango shoes and tango clothing. From Suipacha, Villa Crespo, San Telmo, Greta Flora, NeoTango, Mimi Pinzon, Tango Moda… they were all there together under a single roof.
Uh-oh…
I went straight for the tango pants, and bought 5 pairs at the drop of a hat, in all different colors.
I am really loving my genie pants. All those super-slinky, form-fitting, mini dresses I am too shy to wear with bare legs, can now be worn with these adorable, incredibly comfortable pants. Once you start wearing them, there is just no going back…
They cost about ARS$80 a pair, and if the shopkeeper happens to like you, and takes to calling you “mi querida, hermosa”, and you buy more than one pair, she’ll give you the special price of ARS$60. Which is US$20.
Lucky me…
On the way back home, on Avenida Cordoba, I found a small junior’s boutique called “Violet Violeta”. They sold the same genie pants there, except that it cost ARS$35. US$12.
I guess not so lucky me….
For those of you who can’t go to Buenos Aires, you can get your hands on a pair here: Tangoleva, or Tangodirect. For men, I thought this was hilarious: CC Tango Pants
The prices, however, are unfortunately in US$.
P.S. Let me warn you, however, that there is a particular version of the genie pant that you do not want to mess with. A friend and I have dubbed it, “The Poopy Pants”. They ressemble the tango genie pants, except that the “seat” (or crotch area) extends down pass your knees.
Do not, I repeat, do not venture into this category of tango genie pant unless you are an incredibly good dancer (i.e. Eugenia Parrilla, Cecilia Garcia, etc. who can wear rainbow-colored plastic wrap, and still look good dancing), an ex-supermodel with a perfect body and passable technique and posture, or a current supermodel on the Yohji Yamamoto catwalk during Spring Fashion Week.
I beg you.
Add the word TANGO to an item and it automatically adds a minimum of 30% to the price. Sort of how the Bridal industry works. Chocolate cake 38 dollars Chocolate wedding cake 500 dollars.
miss tango
24 September 2008 at 1:34 pm
When our students ask us, “Where can I buy tango clothes?”, I just say, Anywhere you find something you like and is becoming.
To us, “Tango Clothes” means dress-up in costumes from Rudolf Valentino movies.
I suppose, Nuit, that those pants are more “gauchesco” than “geni,” d’you think?
There’s a trend now of, for lack of a better term, “diaper” pants that are kind of like what Ghandi wore, only in fancy fabrics.
I say, wear whatever you like…but be prepared to be talked about.
Cherie
24 September 2008 at 2:06 pm
cherie! read my P.S.! i got your comment, just as i was re-posting my entry.
i know exactly what you’re talking about… when i first saw them on the streets of bsas, i was aghast. and then i saw it on a tango dancer, and i was stupefied.
haha…..
La Nuit Blanche
24 September 2008 at 2:09 pm
Or unless you’re Tunisian. That’s the kind of pants men wear in Tunisia as part of their traditional garb. Met many a carpet seller wearing them.
caroline
24 September 2008 at 3:37 pm
Hello…those pants are nicknamed shitcatchers…MCHammer 1990!
miss tango
24 September 2008 at 9:38 pm
wow… that’s pretty disgusting, miss tango… but thanks for the info. you must really hate them, haha…!
i think i’ll do my next post on these poopy pants, just for you. :-)
La Nuit Blanche
24 September 2008 at 9:48 pm
They are so gross, and very popular here…I remember seeing them a year and a half ago or so on some Paris street fashion blog and screaming “NO! NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!!!”
miss tango
25 September 2008 at 8:39 am
ps…what do you think of the leg warmers over the Comme Il Fauts, plus wearing the shit catchers? (seen on a few girls at La Glorieta) Do you think the look would be complete wearing a shredded rag wrapped around the head?
miss tango
25 September 2008 at 8:42 am
wait, wait!! don’t give out too many details on this fashion disaster, i’m writing a post on it right now!
:-P
La Nuit Blanche
25 September 2008 at 10:55 am
Am I your inspiration ;)
miss tango
25 September 2008 at 12:22 pm
I think I’ve seen a version of the skirt-genie-trouser-thing, only in contrasting colours, worn in a videoed performance. It seemed like a short, flying black skirt extended downwards into partial legs, but only on the outside, not joined in the middle – and worn over some sort of flesh-coloured layer. I perceived and described it as arseless trousers.
Ms Hedgehog
25 September 2008 at 6:00 pm
No love for the pudgy girls…I can only dream of wearing these pants. These pants can actually be dangerous…I saw a vid of one dancer doing a demo when she caught her heel in the slit of the pants, and *kaboom* her panties were quickly on display in front of everyone. Poor thing. I love to look at these pants being worn the way you recommend, but will never wear them, even if i were skinny hotness.
Pudginess
22 March 2009 at 12:59 pm
yes, that’s why i’ve sewed all the slits together. :-)
actually, i’ve seen bigger girls wearing these pants, and they looked really great. i think it slims the waist, and elongates the legs, especially when pulled up from the ankles halfway towards the knees. these pants are nice because they really do compliment every body type!
one thing skinny girls rarely look good in, are corsets….. :-(
La Nuit Blanche
22 March 2009 at 3:45 pm