Draft 1 | enc2135

When I think of duct tape, words such as fixing, strong, and colorful come to mind. But what I found interesting and yet odd is that people make items out of this durable, colorful duct tape. Usually, fashionable items such as prom dresses, shirts, belts, and wallets are made out of actual fabric such as silk, leather, and suede using sewing machines. However, today these items are being made out of duct tape and is turning into a worldwide craze. But what people do not realize is that this is actually abusing a genre: fashion. Keith Drone, known as the “father of the current duct tape fad” (Murphy), started this popular sensation and is abusing this genre quite successfully.

Duct tape was originally developed to help the American armed forces by keeping water and moisture out of ammunition cases in World War II (Berg and Nyberg). Because it was waterproof, many called it “duck” tape. The tape was engineered to rip easily by hand yet have a strong enough bond to mend things and keep them dry. Soldiers discovered that this Army green waterproof tape was able to quickly mend or repair Jeeps, aircraft, and other military equipment. In later years, during the housing boom, air conditioning and heaters were installed utilizing duct work to distribute the cooled and heated air throughout the house. This tape was changed to a silver color and utilized to mend the duct work. As time moved on, other uses became apparent and soon this versatile product was available for sale in local hardware stores. Consumers were now able to purchase this product to repair many residential problems from wiring, carpeting issues, and even weatherizing your home.

Keith Drone became intrigued with duct tape in 1999 while in high school (Zezima). Initially, he used duct tape to repair 3-ring binders and patch holes in his denim jeans but found himself experimenting by making wallets and accessories. Soon he began wearing his creations, wallets, belts, and other articles of clothing, to school. He even wore rings of duct tape around his wrists like bracelets. The principal, believing Keith was hiding drugs in the rolls, was annoyed with this unusual and out of the ordinary act. Keith was summoned to the principal’s office and was asked to stop wearing rolls of duct tape or face expulsion. To show support for Keith and his talent, fellow students put hundreds of pieces of duct tape all over the school. This encouraged Keith to create items and sell them. His business started and his profits helped pay for his college education (Petelinsek 7). Keith even launched a website entitled www.ducttapefashion.com which provides followers a source for purchasing duct tape, “how to” videos, ideas for crafts, and displays pictures of viewers creations (Murphy).

Duct tape companies embraced this new idea of creating fashionable clothing and accessories out of their product. To support duct tape fashion designers, manufacturers created new designs of duct tape. These new tapes were designed in a multitude of colors and patterns like chevron, polka dot, and stripes. They also created licensed tape which included college teams, NFL, MLB, NHL, and cartoon characters such as Hello Kitty, Spongebob Squarepants, and Disney princesses. To expand their sales, duct tape was not only sold in hardware stores, but also craft stores, discount super-stores like Walmart and Target, grocery stores, and even retail stores like Urban Outfitters (Murphy). Because of this, “leading manufacturers like ShurTech Brands and 3M said sales of duct tape have surged in the past three years” (Murphy).