By Maia Bentz

Zubaz, the zebra-striped pants that took the ‘80s by storm, are no longer a thing of the frizzy-haired past. This fall, due to popular demand, Zubaz made their proud return, producing the bold-patterned clothing item once again.

Want a pair? Alec Torigian, a sophomore at St. John’s and the official Zubaz representative at CSB/SJU, can hook you up.

For Torigian, this job is a dream come true.

“I always wanted (Zubaz) as a kid,” Torigian said. “But it’s hard to find kids’ sizes.”

The story began when Torigian and his teammates on the ultimate Frisbee team wanted matching pairs of the “ridiculously comfortable” pants. They Googled Zubaz, and the man they contactedhappened to be an alum from St. John’s. He helped the team get in touch with Dan Stock, one of the owners of the company.

After putting in the order, Torigian shamelessly asked “the big wig of Zubaz” about summer jobs, but all Stock could offer Torigian was a position as the student representative for Zubaz at CSB/SJU. Torigian wasecstatic. The decision to accept the job wasn’t difficult.

“There was no reason why not,”Torigian said. “Plus, it’s pretty much a dream job.”

Torigian sees his job as a way to give back.

“I help students on campus get the comfy pants they deserve,” Torigian said.

He said he’s gotten a fair amount of business this year but hopes to find more time to dedicate to selling Zubaz next year.

Torigian jokes that selling Zubaz is how he pays for tuition. The truth is, he does make a small amount, but that’s not why he does it.

The real reason he sells the zebra-striped colorful pants is just for the fun of it, he said.

“Even if I broke even, I’d be happy,” Torigian said.

Torigian sports his gear around campus too.

“I wear them at least part of the day, every day,” he said.

He even recently invested in a very cheap briefcase with a white sheet of paper taped onto it that says “Zubaz” in big letters. Torigian is a salesman who stands behind his product.

“I was honestly shocked at how comfortable they were,” Torigian said. “They’re like a T-shirt in pant form.”

They’re perfect for around the dorm, and the combination of drawstring and elastic is unbeatable, Torigian said.

They come in six colors, and they’re coming out with shorts very soon. The nice thing about ordering a pair from Torigian versus at zubaz.com is that the cost of Zubaz is $5 cheaper from Torigian, plus there is no shipping and handling fee.

Torigian wears Zubaz because “after college, it’s not like you can wear zebra-striped pants, and who doesn’t want to look obnoxious every once in a while?”

Torigian has a fun time with his job.

“It’s cool to say I do it, and I can hook my friends up with some cool and
ridiculous pants,” he said.

People may think Zubaz are a fad of the past, but Torigian is determined to bring them back. His newest motto is, “I don’t just stand by the product I sell; I stand in it.”

Filed under: Variety by Tan Tuohy