23 Sahara Knights

Trends Started by Rudolph Valentino

Rudy was quite the trend setter in his day.  Despite the sneers he caught from jealous American men, he was quite fashion forward and time has proven that.  Below are some of the trends Valentino himself or his characters inspired

 

*Vaselinos

After The Sheik had launched him into superstardom men started copying his slicked back hair look.  Teasingly these men were called Vaselinos, and quite a few were proud of it.

 

*Gaucho Pants

After The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse everything Latin Lover was hot.  Any baggy clothing on a man was seen as effeminate yet Valentino still made it a trend.  The Sheik reinforced that.

 

*Everything Arabic and Sheik-y

The Sheik was a bonafide cultural phenomena.  Women wanted to be raped by him, and men wanted to be him.  Everything remotely Arabic, Sheik, or 'Oriental' became en vogue.  Young men we'd now call 'playas' were called Sheiks while young women we'd now call 'open minded' were called 'shebas'.

 

*Wristwatches and Bracelets

Believe it or not when the wrist watch was first introduced middle America considered it 'effeminate' for a man to wear one...'too much like a bracelet' they said.  Rudy wore one anyways (one can spot his in Son of the Sheik).  He also wore a 'slave bracelet' a gift from Natacha.  He caught a lot of hell for it, but now when a man wears a bracelet or wrist watch nothing is thought of it.