Chains shirts

English translation: Chams de Baron shirts

03:33 Sep 15, 2013
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / fashion
English term or phrase: Chains shirts
In This is How you Lose Her, Junot Diaz talks about the Dominican immigrants' life in America. When they first came to USA, the mother wanted to know some new people and persuaded her husband to take his colleagues home for dinner.

"Mami put on her best polyester jumpsuit and got us spiffy in our red pants, thick white belts, and amaranth-blue Chains shirts"

Can anyone tell me what Chains shirts are. Thanks!
ninepin
Taiwan
Local time: 21:10
Selected answer:Chams de Baron shirts
Explanation:
"Chains" is a typo for "Chams":
http://books.google.es/books?id=grpDlo7Wy2sC&pg=PT82&lpg=PT8...

"Chams shirts" were shirts from the Chams de Baron sports leisurewear company, a fashionable brand in the 1980s. I think the company ceased to operate, at least under that name, at the end of the 1980s.

I think what this evokes is the idea of Mami dressing them up in their best clothes. Having a Chams shirt is perhaps comparable to having a Lacoste shirt, or something like that; as an immigrant, it marks you as being like a fashionable middle-class American. But from the perspective of nowadays, Chams shirts are a thing of the past, with a kind of "retro" appeal.

"Or, for some, a Chams (as in “Chams de Baron”) shirt."
http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2008/03/13/dvd-review-family-ties...

"What happened to the "Chams Man" (Chams De Baron)?"
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061024172638AA...

"who remembers wearing "chams "shirts for guys,,,,remember the commercials..."a shams man...a shams de baron man""
http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1130005672.shtm...

Here's a picture of one. It was probably thought to be chic back than, but now it just looks garish (not that they were all like this):
http://poshmark.com/listing/51114206e4b01b37cf96b1e4

"On a side note, I just spent about 30 minutes looking for a photo of a Chams shirt from the early 80s and it's as if Chams De Baron has scrubbed the internet clean of said abomination except for an old disco-era commercial. Which means now I'm going to have to go poking through a bunch of old pictures in hopes of finding a shot of myself wearing a black sleeveless polyester blend shirt with yellow piping in order to prove, once and for all, that growing up in the 80s was like growing up on the fucking moon. "
http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/tod_goldberg/media/

Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 15:10
Grading comment
Thank you. Great research. Very helpful!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4Chams de Baron shirts
Charles Davis
3alice-in-chains shirts
David Hollywood


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
chains shirts
alice-in-chains shirts


Explanation:
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=alice+in+chains+shirt
Find great deals on eBay for alice in chains shirt and soundgarden shirt. Shop with confidence.

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Note added at 5 mins (2013-09-15 03:39:25 GMT)
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http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=alice-in-chains t-shirts

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Note added at 8 mins (2013-09-15 03:42:27 GMT)
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if I'm on the right track this refers to Alice in Chains (an 80s US grunge band)

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Note added at 9 mins (2013-09-15 03:43:15 GMT)
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www.shopwiki.com/l/Alice-in-Chains-T-Shirt
ShopWiki has 36 results for Alice in Chains T Shirt, including Alice in Chains Seattle Washington Juniors T Shirt, Alice in Chains Black T-shirt S M L XL, Alice In ...

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Note added at 10 mins (2013-09-15 03:44:44 GMT)
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www.thetoptens.com/best-grunge-alternative-bands/alice-chai...
View all comments about Alice in Chains in our top ten list of Best Grunge / Alternative Rock Bands or add a new comment about Alice in Chains
Mooseman's Jukebox - Free Music - Band:…Traducir esta página
moosemanjukebox.tumblr.com/post/27453395703/band-alice-in-chains...
Band: Alice In Chains Album: MTV Unplugged Year: 1996 Genre: Grunge/Alternative Tracklist: 1. Nutshell 2. Brother 3. No Excuses 4. Sludge Factory 5. Down in a Hole 6.
The Top 10 Songs by Alice in Chains…Traducir esta página
voices.yahoo.com/the-top-10-songs-alice-chains-77446.html
21/09/2006 · Alice in Chains is one of the most influential bands of the alternative metal/grunge genre, and known for their dark, dramatic sound.

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Note added at 12 mins (2013-09-15 03:45:57 GMT)
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will need some confirmation though ...

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Note added at 17 mins (2013-09-15 03:51:20 GMT)
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and ok with "Alice in Chains" (no hyphens) but will really need to hear from others on this one

David Hollywood
Local time: 10:10
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 7
Notes to answerer
Asker: The family in question just immigrated to USA from Dominic Republic, I don't think they know any American grunge band.( The mother and the two children just started to learn English from Sesame Street.) Thanks for the answer though!

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
chains shirts
Chams de Baron shirts


Explanation:
"Chains" is a typo for "Chams":
http://books.google.es/books?id=grpDlo7Wy2sC&pg=PT82&lpg=PT8...

"Chams shirts" were shirts from the Chams de Baron sports leisurewear company, a fashionable brand in the 1980s. I think the company ceased to operate, at least under that name, at the end of the 1980s.

I think what this evokes is the idea of Mami dressing them up in their best clothes. Having a Chams shirt is perhaps comparable to having a Lacoste shirt, or something like that; as an immigrant, it marks you as being like a fashionable middle-class American. But from the perspective of nowadays, Chams shirts are a thing of the past, with a kind of "retro" appeal.

"Or, for some, a Chams (as in “Chams de Baron”) shirt."
http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2008/03/13/dvd-review-family-ties...

"What happened to the "Chams Man" (Chams De Baron)?"
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061024172638AA...

"who remembers wearing "chams "shirts for guys,,,,remember the commercials..."a shams man...a shams de baron man""
http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1130005672.shtm...

Here's a picture of one. It was probably thought to be chic back than, but now it just looks garish (not that they were all like this):
http://poshmark.com/listing/51114206e4b01b37cf96b1e4

"On a side note, I just spent about 30 minutes looking for a photo of a Chams shirt from the early 80s and it's as if Chams De Baron has scrubbed the internet clean of said abomination except for an old disco-era commercial. Which means now I'm going to have to go poking through a bunch of old pictures in hopes of finding a shot of myself wearing a black sleeveless polyester blend shirt with yellow piping in order to prove, once and for all, that growing up in the 80s was like growing up on the fucking moon. "
http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/tod_goldberg/media/



Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 15:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thank you. Great research. Very helpful!
Notes to answerer
Asker: It makes sense. Thank you so much!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Moore (X): Okay, Charles - you convinced me// By the way, am I alone in not having enough time to look at so many references, that I don't even bother looking at one? (You're not alone in posting unnecessary reams of refences, Charles, so don't take it amiss!)
1 hr
  -> Thanks, David :) Re. references, no offence taken! They're there for people who want to see evidence; no obligation to look! They're mostly for the asker, really, and to prove that I'm not just making it up.

agree  lorenab23: :-)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Lorena. Have a good Sunday :)

agree  Veronika McLaren
13 hrs
  -> Thank you, Veronika :)

agree  Phong Le
18 hrs
  -> Thank you very much, Phong Le :)
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