Harem pants

Early 20th century

In 1911, the Paris couturier Paul Poiret introduced harem pants as part of his efforts to reinvent and 'liberate' Western female fashion. His "Style Sultane" included the jupe-culotte or harem pant, made with full legs tied in at the ankle. Alternative names for the harem skirt/pants included jupe-sultane (sultan skirt), and jupe-pantalon (trouser-skirt). Despite the fierce criticism from other designers such as Jeanne Paquin who specifically criticised how harem pants slumped rather than tapered at the ankle (unlike the hobble skirt), it was noted that Paquin's own collections showed signs of having been influenced by the new styles. and a fellow couturier, Bourniche, is also credited with designing such styles at the time.

Late 20th century

Harem pants came back into fashion in the 1980s, when they were remembered for being 'costumey.' A version of harem pants popularized in the late 1980s by M. C. Hammer became known as Hammer pants.

Contemporary harem pants

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. Harem pants are also used as a look alike for a dhoti in India.

References

References

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