Let’s reach into the not-so-distant past for a true moment of terror: Unisex Gym Suits. Yes, in our day we were required to wear official gym clothing. Yes, it had to be in the official school colors, which in the case of my alma mater was supposed to be maroon but looked mostly like dried blood. The shirts were fairly innocuous though they tended to look nasty after a single wearing. The shorts were an abomination, as any photo of anyone engaged in athletics in the ’70s can show — too short and not based on any basic understanding of anatomy, male or female. Then to add to the embarrassment: tube socks.
This ad from 1978 was from the much-missed Carl’s Department Stores.