Saturday, February 3rd, 2007: Pantspotting in Helsingborg

What I think:

You know that "fashion" of wearing trousers (US/CAN: pants) that are too big for you, so that the top of them actually comes down to about halfway to your knees? It seems that a lot of people in Helsingborg are really into this "look".

I find it both entertaining and educational; you really get a good insight about the current trends in pants (US/CAN: underwear). Like I care.

Whenever we're out on the town, GF and I always point out the different kinds of underpants we see. It's become a sort of in-joke for us.

We were at a trendy little bar called PL13 a few weeks ago, and we noticed that this really was the Mecca of underpant exposure.

By the way, despite being quite small, PL13 is actually quite cool, especially if you're into Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Smiths, some Punk & Goth, and stuff like that. I much prefer the choice of music there to anywhere else.

I've only got two issues with the place: it's only got one toilet, and it's usually full of guys whose mums should really still be dressing them.

Last night, GF and I had arranged to meet someone there, so we thought it'd be fun to go on a proper pantspotting mission. I actually brought my camera specifically for the occasion.

We stopped at Zoo Bar for a noodle stir fry first (I recommend it; cheap & cheerful food before a night out). We sat at a table next to a group of people, and I spotted a girl with her knickers showing over the top of her jeans.

What a result! We hadn't even got to PL13 yet, and we were already getting some pant-flash action. OK, so this was more accidental than an actual fashion statement, but I took it as a good sign anyway.

I asked my girlfriend to move over a bit, so that I could pretend to be taking a photo of her, while actually focusing on Knicker Girl instead. Here you go: the first exposed undergarment of the evening:
Once inside PL13, we were quite disappointed, to be honest. It was much quieter than usual, and there were no blaring Calvins to be found. Only a few weeks earlier, the whole length of the bar was awash with these droopy-drawered dudes, and now - nada.

We went and sat at a table with our friend, and a few beers, feeling vaguely melancholy. Oh well, thought I, might as well abandon the mission.

But then, we couldn't help noticing a guy sitting at the bar exposing not his pants, but his bum crack (I'm assuming he's in the building trade). Not what we were after, but I thought I'd snap it anyway, just for the hell of it: OK, that was fun. We continued chatting & drinking, when we noticed someone who'd come in & sat down - exposing his pants! Hurrah!

I went over and stood next to him and asked my girlfriend to take a photo of "me": There were a few more candidates, but they were all wearing long-ish coats. Damn winter.

Then, finally, the ideal contender strolled up to the bar and ordered a drink. This was more like it: I have to say that I was quite blatantly nonchalant about going up straight behind this guy and taking a photo of his arse. Similarly with the others as well; I'm quite surprised I didn't get flat-packed by anyone.

In any case, that was just about the end of our mission. Not quite as successful as we'd hoped, but nevermind. To finish the game off, I went up to the bar myself, pulled my trousers down a bit, had a seat, and had a photo taken, showing my best side:The lack of continuity in this town can be so frustrating. You go out to try to show the world that there are loads of people in Helsingborg who show off their pants, and hardly anyone turns up. It's bloody typical, and it's time that the Swedish government did something about it. That's what I think.