Harem pants
Encyclopedia
Harem pants or harem trousers, also known as parachute pants
, are women's baggy long pants
tapered at the ankle
, with side flaps on the hip that button
at the waist
area.
Harem pants, which originated in India
, are like a cross between a skirt
and a pair of skinny jeans
. The legs, from the knees down, are fitted. The crotch
area is loose
and baggy
as if it were cut to be a skirt. Traditional harem pants can be extremely large and baggy, with a very wide and full fit, very roomy, loose fitting, over-sized, puffy, spacious, with elastic
in waist and at ankles, and with the crotch below the knee almost to the ground.
Harem pants are commonly worn with a pleated skirt - a short skirt that covers the top portion of the harem pants. Both harem pants and pleated skirts are commonly used in belly dancing
. There are resources that show various forms of pleated skirts and explain how they are created.
They've also emerged as a "modern" version of harem pants made popular in the late 1980s by MC Hammer
and thus known as hammer pants
. They are intended to be made more fashionable and less fabric requirement.
Similar pants are also known as dimije, tshalvar, schalwar, salwar kameez, kaccha
, patiala salwar
, shintijan, sirwal
, sharovary
, Turkish trousers
, aladdin pants, balloon pants, drop crotch pants, pantaloons, zouave
, pluderhose and pumphose.
Parachute pants
Parachute pants are a style of trousers characterised by the use of nylon, especially ripstop nylon. In the original loose-fitting, extraneously zippered style of the late 70s/early 80s, "parachute" referred to the pants' synthetic nylon material. In the later 80s, "parachute" may have referred to...
, are women's baggy long pants
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
tapered at the ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
, with side flaps on the hip that button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
at the waist
Waist
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
area.
Harem pants, which originated in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, are like a cross between a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
and a pair of skinny jeans
Skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size. Other names for this style include pegs, drainpipes, stovepipes, Asian tight-pants, cigarette pants, skinny pants,insolent pants or skinnies...
. The legs, from the knees down, are fitted. The crotch
Crotch
The term crotch may be used to describe the region of an object where it splits into two or more limbs. This can include trees, animals, buildings, in wiring diagrams, etc....
area is loose
Loose
Loose may refer to:in music*Loose , a 2006 album by Nelly Furtado**Loose Mini DVD, a 2007 DVD by Nelly Furtado**Get Loose Tour, a concert tour by Nelly Furtado**Loose: The Concert, a 2007 live DVD by Nelly Furtado...
and baggy
Baggy
Baggy was a British dance-oriented music genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The scene was heavily influenced by Madchester, although it was not geographically confined to Manchester. Many Madchester bands could also be described as Baggy, and vice versa...
as if it were cut to be a skirt. Traditional harem pants can be extremely large and baggy, with a very wide and full fit, very roomy, loose fitting, over-sized, puffy, spacious, with elastic
Elastomer
An elastomer is a polymer with the property of viscoelasticity , generally having notably low Young's modulus and high yield strain compared with other materials. The term, which is derived from elastic polymer, is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, although the latter is preferred...
in waist and at ankles, and with the crotch below the knee almost to the ground.
Harem pants are commonly worn with a pleated skirt - a short skirt that covers the top portion of the harem pants. Both harem pants and pleated skirts are commonly used in belly dancing
Belly dance
Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
. There are resources that show various forms of pleated skirts and explain how they are created.
They've also emerged as a "modern" version of harem pants made popular in the late 1980s by MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
and thus known as hammer pants
Hammer pants
Hammer Pants—inspired by harem pants, which originated in India and are often mistakenly referred to as “parachute pants”—are baggy pants tapered at the ankle perfect for breakdancing. They were popularized in the 1980s and 1990s by rapper MC Hammer....
. They are intended to be made more fashionable and less fabric requirement.
Similar pants are also known as dimije, tshalvar, schalwar, salwar kameez, kaccha
Kaccha
Kacchera or Kaccha are specially designed short, shalwar-like) loose undergarments with a tie-knot worn by baptized Sikhs. It is one of the five Sikh articles of faith called the Five Ks , and was given as a "gift of love" by Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar in 1699...
, patiala salwar
Patiala salwar
A Patiala salwar is a type of female trousers which has its roots in Patiala City in the Northern region of Punjab state in India. The King of Patiala in earlier times had its Royal dress as Patiala Salwar...
, shintijan, sirwal
Sirwal
The sirwal , also known as punjabi pants, are a form of Arabic pants predating the Christian era. They are typically worn in the Arabian Peninsula and other primarily Muslim countries. The drawstring allows a sirwal to be worn at either the waist or hip level...
, sharovary
Sharovary
Sharovary - men's and women's pants are part of the national clothes of some people - are free to hips, often with assembly at the waist, collected at the bottom near the ankles.- History :...
, Turkish trousers
Turkish trousers
Turkish trousers are baggy trousers gathered in tightly at the ankle. They are part of the folk costume of Turkey and they are called şalvar in Turkish....
, aladdin pants, balloon pants, drop crotch pants, pantaloons, zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
, pluderhose and pumphose.