When Did Jams Shorts Come Out?

With the popularity of rainbow colors in the 80s, it’s not hard to tell why Jams were popular at that time. With the tropical flower design sold in all different colors, teens and twenty-somethings (with money) were willing to pay a fortune for them. At the time, they were commonly sold for $30 a pair in department stores all over the country, including Macy’s, Marshall’s, Nordstrom and other higher priced stores.

Interestingly, they weren’t that sexy. Perhaps because they were unisex and not very form-fitting. Especially for men to wear those straight-fitting shorts that cut off just above the knee, it doesn’t exactly give off that “bad boy” vibe that all the girls were (and still are) into. Nevertheless, guys were proud to wear them to show off their west coast beach style.

When Did Jams Shorts Come Out?

Jams shorts came out on December 25, 1964 after lifetime surfer and surfboard shop owner Dave Rochlen became inspired by a group of Russians in their pajamas on the beach. When the idea came to fruition, he asked his wife, Keanuenue Ka’eo, to cut out a pair of Hawaiian print pajama pants into shorts for surfing, which became the first pair of Jams. He focused on the comfortability, which allowed surfers to straddle their boards while the shorts protected their legs.

In addition to selling surf boards at his shop (Surf Line Hawaii) at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, he was excited to introduce his new fashion line. He came out with all sorts of colorful prints as well as specific brands for his children, Put and Nohea, to engage them in the family business.

Jams in Life Magazine

As the shorts grew exceedingly popular in Hawaii, Life magazine featured them in a two-page story, along with Rochlen and a group of his surfer friends in the June 1965 issue. As the popular magazine was read by millions around the US, Jams became available in various department stores, moving them to the West Coast.

Although the whole surfer chic popularity really came from the East Coast. A sales rep, Tina Sprague, at Surf Line told the Chicago Tribune that Jams sales really took off when “the East Coast yuppies began wearing them as streetwear.” By 1986, Surf Line Hawaii (Jams’ manufacturer) reported over $30 million in sales.

Jams in the 80s

In the 1980s, as the bohemian, colorful style of clothing was crazily popular, especially among younger men who hung out at LA beaches, sporting them along with huge white shirts sand big sunglasses. Big box retailers and the Jams manufacturer itself, Surf Line Hawaii Ltd., couldn’t keep up with the demand.

For $30 a pair at the time, they also were incredibly expensive, but anything that’s in demand is pricey, right? But it wasn’t uncommon for consumers to make their own, or even purchase the knockoff brands. In their favor, the name “Jams” had become more of a generic name for any cotton-made knee length drawstring shorts. This is similar to “Kleenex” where any brand of tissue would be referred to as that brand.

Jams Colorful Pattern

The colorful flower design on Jams were popular, but they weren’t the only design available. As the word and popularity of the shorts extended into the Midwest and east coast, the brand came out with some more Memphis-inspired geometric and graphic patterns. They were just as colorful as well as printed on a number of hats, shirts and t-shirts, all to match the bottoms.

Fashion Brands Jumping on the Jams Bandwagon

Other companies had also introduced their own version of the drawstring cotton shorts, just with a little different lengths:

• Cheater Jams – similar to boxer shorts
• Basic Jams – cut off at the knee
• Judo Jams – cut off below the knee, similar to clam diggers
• Super Jams – cut off below the knee

One particular competitor, Life’s a Beach, which was started by three Chicago natives and based in Carlsbad, CA came out with the same surfer shorts in each of the four lengths, the same as Jams. But the patterns were a bit more “Bad Boy”, sporting anything from a 1950’s car to skull and crossbones to a terrorist. Certainly they wanted to make their consumers looks sexy since the colorful flowers on the Jams lacked in that department.

Company owners, Mark and Brian Simo, explained they got the idea when they were racing motorcycles in Florida. “We got sick of seeing everyone in those short shorts with flowers all over them. So just to be different we began making the longer shorts out of tablecloths, bedspread—anything we could find with wild prints.” While they’re still popular today, they never did reach the level of success of the Jams brand, possibly because they didn’t have as big of a following on the East Coast.

Jams Today

Although Jams aren’t as popular today as they were in the 80s, you can still find them for sale at Jams World for $98+. Yes, they are still as expensive as ever, but they claim that a portion of their proceeds benefits a number of non-profits, including the Hawaii Food Bank, Hawaii Humane Society, Make a Wish Hawaii and Akala (Pink) Collection.

They have also expanded incredibly since the 80s, selling much more than just the shorts. Everything from kimonos to skirts and jewelry for women, and shirts, t-shirts and board shorts for men, all in that crazy colorful pattern. They even have face masks! You can also shop by art style if you have a particular style you like. Just be ready to pay the astronomical prices, because they are expensive!

Let’s See Your Jams!

Do you still have a pair of Jams from the 80s? I’d love to see! Or even if you have purchased a pair recently (they make awesome crazy outfits), don’t be afraid to upload the picture! I love hearing from my readers!