Bad Pants, Good Cause
CultureMap is bad! We win top prize in Bad Pants Fashion Show — with help fromanimal crackers
We've always known that CultureMap likes to have fun in bad ways, but now there's proof. We'll do just about anything for a good cause, so when organizers of the Bad Pants Fashion Show asked us to take part for the third straight year, of course we said yes.
This year's show, which serves as a kickoff for the Bad Pants Open Golf Tournament, to be held at The Clubs of Kingwood on Oct. 10, paired talented Houston Community College fashion design students with media personalities, including Channel 11's Chita Johnson, FOX 26's Melissa Wilson, Channel 13's Tom Koch and me.
HCC design student Carolyn Gotcher asked herself, "How can I make something really ugly but still looks good at the same time?"
At first the designers were a little taken aback about being asked to make an outfit that's meant to look bad. Upon being asked to participate HCC design student Carolyn Gotcher asked herself, "How can I make something really ugly but still looks good at the same time?"
She reminded herself that she was involved with a charity event for a children's hospital — the Bad Pants Open Golf has raised more than $2 million for the Newborn Center at Texas Children's Hospital — "so why not have some fun," she recalled.
Then she got to work.
She created a '70s'-inspired outfit — pants, vest and hat — dotted with animal crackers, eyeballs and a silver spike here and there for me to wear. It wowed the crowd and the judges — fashion designer Chloe Dao, fashion columnist Sydney Dao,Chic Sheet fashion blogger Roz Pactor and Texas Children's Hospital NICU nurse manager Rebecca Schiff.
Michael Kors, eat your heart out!
But it was a tough choice as each outfit was so "bad" it was good. Koch wowed the crowd in a Mad Hatter golf outfit designed by HCC student Patricia Dunn while Wilson channeled I Dream of Jeannie in a gold harem pants designed by HCC instructor Jose Saucedo that M.C. Hammer would kill for. If an award were made for working the crowd, Wilson would have won hands down.
Judges told me later that it was hard to choose between my outfit and Johnson's multi-colored Alice in Wonderland slacks, designed by Houston Community College fashion design students Claire Ferran and Julio Sanchez, which had a fashion-forward flair.
But the playful animal crackers dotting my outfit was the determining factor in victory, and I was thrilled to accept the honor.
But winning presents its own set of problems. Now, I worry, where do I store the outfit to protect it from an invasion of ants? Perhaps I should donate it to the Bad Pants Hall of Fame.
