Fairly tight nylon pants which enjoyed a period of popularity in the mid-1980s. They had zippered patch pockets -- the usual two in the front and two in the back, plus one or two on each leg. Sometimes, they had zippered ankles. The existence of parachute pants is an indication that maybe fashion in the '80s sucked just as hard as it did in the 1970s.

And now some Evil Corporate Empires are trying to bring parachute pants back -- this time, they're calling them "para pants", but we won't be fooled this time!

Item of clothing originally used by the military because they were made of weatherproof synthetic materials and had large pockets for maps and other supplies. Became very fashionable in the early 1980s and are now an item of nostalgia. You can still buy several styles at www.parachute-pants.com.

In the late 80s, a couple of years after parachute pants had gone out of style, my family went up to Canada to visit my Aunt. We were going to go hiking in the Canadian Rockies, and she insisted that we all wear some used parachute pants. The reason was that they blocked the wind, and they only took about 15 minutes to dry after you got them wet, so there was less danger of cramping from the cold at high altitudes.

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