Stubbies is the brand name for fashion
shorts
Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...
in
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
. The shorts were introduced in 1972 as short fashion shorts for men. Since then the range has expanded to include a range of workwear for both men and women.
Stubbies has entered New Zealand and Australasian
slang
Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and usage (language), linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of p ...
vocabulary
A vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person's language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the la ...
, referred to in the Australian
Macquarie Dictionary
The ''Macquarie Dictionary'' () is a dictionary of Australian English. It is generally considered by universities and the legal profession to be the authoritative source on Australian English. It also pays considerable attention to New Zealand ...
as "Short shorts of tough material for informal wear".
History
The brand was established in 1972 by clothing manufacturer Edward Fletcher and Co. More than 750,000 pairs of Stubbies were sold across Australia in that first year. The company later changed its name to Stubbies because of the success of this line. The company was bought out by US-based
Sara Lee Corporation
The Sara Lee Corporation was an American consumer-goods company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. It had operations in more than 40 countries and sold its products in over 180 countries. Its international operations were headquartered in Utrecht ...
in 1990 and moved offshore. Pacific Dunlop (now
Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands was an Australian consumer products company.
On Tuesday, 28 June 2016, the company suspended trading on the ASX in order to be acquired by Hanesbrands. Corporate changes/details were to be announced thereafter.
This acquisit ...
) acquired Sara Lee Apparel Australasia in 2001 and brought the company back to Australia.
Stubbies were introduced in the US in 1978 as beach shorts and were a popular brand as worn by skaters and surfers. They were a cost efficient alternative to the OP (Ocean Pacific) brand and gained some popularity.
Since 2014, the brand has been owned by
Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products. With revenue of ...
as a subsidiary of
Hard Yakka.
References
External links
Official Stubbies websiteMacquarie Dictionary website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stubbies (Brand)
Australian companies established in 1972
Clothing companies established in 1972
Clothing brands of Australia
Wesfarmers
Workwear