Orriginals spreads Zubaz sales

The wildly colored striped pants of the 1990s are back in style and will be seen at more outlets throughout the region this holiday season, according to Len Orr, co-owner of Orriginals.

Zubazs rose to prominence in the early 1990s when the striped pants and shorts in team colors was must-wear attire for sports fans. Then styles changed.

“These things were hugely popular in the 1980s,” Orr said. “When they went out of style it crashed pretty hard.”

The Zubaz company went bankrupt in 1996 and for a decade pants with wild colored stripes were not available.

“The original owners bought back the (trademarks) and have brought them back,” Orr said. “They started with one kiosk in Minneapolis.”

In 2010 and 2011, Orr operated one kiosk marketing Zubaz pants at West Acres in Fargo. This year he is expanding to holiday kiosk operations in Grand Forks, Minot, Bismarck and Sioux Falls. In Jamestown he markets the pants at his downtown store and through the bookstore at Jamestown College.

“They only sell the orange and black Zubaz at JC,” he said.

Orr said designs matching local school colors are the most popular in each community. He also anticipates the items growing in popularity.

“Now that they have the NFL license we’ll see them in more stores next year,” he said.

Orr admitted that he was an early adopter in the Zubaz comeback but not the first time the pants were a craze.

“I remember them,” he said. “I never owned a pair but my faith was that everything that was popular comes around again.”

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at 701-952-8452 or by email at knorman@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local business, business