Meet Eldridge Cleaver: 1968 Presidential Candidate And Penis Pants Inventor

Eldridge Cleaver has been an underrated figure in the Black Power Movement of the 60s and 70s. He was the Minister of Information and Head of the International Section of the Black Panthers and he wrote the monumentally important book Soul On Ice. Plus he ran for President in 1968.

Also, he invented Penis Pants.

The folks at Anorak dug up some fascinating information about Cleaver’s long-forgotten foray into fashion. And it’s crazy as hell.

Here’s a clip from his 1975 interview from Jet:

Life is just a chain of daisies when you slip into (careful, now) these revolutionary hot pants – with their ever-so-daring accent provacateur – just unveiled by famous radical designer Edridge Cleaver of Paris. They’re bad, they’re mad, they’re up front (but never out of sight)… and, of course, they’re for men only… REAL men… the three-fisted variety. ‘There’s no mistaking they are men’s pants,’ says M. Cleaver (seen here modeling a high-waisted two-tone pair of ‘Cleavers’ with side zipper and matching ‘appurtenance.’ ‘The pants that men wear now will be seen as girls’ pants after my models are sold. And don’t forget…heavy on the starch!”

Look at that. God bless the 60s. You just can’t make this stuff up.

×