Back in 1979 Chippendales became the first all-male stripping troupe to take America by storm. They are famous for their costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs are worn on an otherwise bare torso.
The male dance revue where men stripped down to padded thongs while throngs of women gasped and ogled and cheered. Founded in 1979 by Steve Banerjee, an Indian immigrant attempting to turn his run-down nightclub into a star-studded must-visit venue, Chippendales arrived on the scene after a decade of feminist activism was beginning to hit a wall.
As the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment stalled in the states, Chippendales offered a new version of women’s equality: the right of women to lust after scantily clad men.
That, anyway, was the sales pitch: that women could turn the table on men by coming down to the club on the west side of L.A. to watch them strip. That it would be empowering. Liberating. And while that peering-at-pecs-as-praxis may seem eye-rolling today, one feminist saw Chippendales as an opportunity to press the case for equality.
Through the years, celebrities have been making guest appearances with the troupe over the years. Hotties such as Nyle DiMarco, Jeff Timmons, Tyson Beckford, Ronnie Margo, Ian Ziering and others.
Launch the gallery above to see more photo of the Chippendales men.
