When I am researching one topic I often come across random historical tidbits that I think might be interesting to research one day. These tidbits sometimes end up as full-fledged stories and sometimes they just stay as random historical tidbits. I have collected quite a few, so I thought it might be fun to present them in the form of “treats” for a local history advent calendar. Think of them as holiday cocktail party fodder – 24 facts about Vancouver history that can be used as conversation starters at your next social event.
Day 17: The Starboard Pant Factory introduced Vancouver to acid-washed denim…
Starboard Pant Factory was the first store to sell acid-washed denim in BC in the 1980s. Located at 222 East Georgia, Starboard Pant Factory outlet produced jeans through its factory and sold direct to the public starting in 1972 until 1994. Over the years the company added outlets in Victoria, Surrey and Calgary. During its heyday in the 1980s, the discount factory outlet made 5,000 sales per week and sold $2 million a year in casual pants – that’s a lot of acid-wash!
But, the real reason I included the Starboard Pant Factory in the Local History Advent Calendar was an excuse to feature this awesome video. Check out the fun, fashion, and factory low prices in this wonderfully cheesy 1987 television commercial for Starboard Pant Factory.
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