Spandex: Fashion's Greatest Friend

I remember very vividly the moment I fell in love with Spandex. It was the very moment I gazed upon the thick and taut bodies of Salt-N-Papa in the 80's. The video was "Push It" and it was the 80's. S-N-P didn't invent Spandex. That honor goes to Joseph Shivers of the DuPont company who created the elastic, form-fitting shiney and durable material in the late 1950's. Some 30 years later, Spandex was used for working out and allowed daring individuals to show off their body.

For men and pubescent boys, Shivers is an agent of God. He bestowed us with a guilty and not-so-guilty pleasure. These days, Spandex is all the rage. Users include Amber Rose, Lil Kim, Meagan Good, and other heavenly bodies captured by the lenses of many-a-photographer. Soul-singing rapper Amanda Diva even named her last EP, Spandex, Rhymes, and Soul, a melding of her style and music.

Spandex is not for everybody, although the word is derivative of "expands" and has several uses outside of fashion. Men should not use Spandex under any circumstances; unless they are are a superhero or using it for athletic purposes. Frankly, there are some people that are simply too large to sport it like Salt and Pep. Sorry, thick'ums. We love you too, but not in 'Dex.

Now is the time for the homage to Shivers, DuPont and, most importantly, the women that make Spandex so important in modern culture.

FE DIDDY

Lil Kim

Amber Rose

Melyssa Ford/Megan Good

Beyonce