Trousers

This article is about the clothing item. For the 1920 British film, see Trousers (film).
"Pants" and "Pair of pants" redirect here. For the object in topology, see Pair of pants (mathematics). For the undergarment, see Underpants.

Trousers
Man wearing a pair of trousers
Material
Materials used to produce Pants
ManufacturerVarious

Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants (American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, dresses and kilts). In some parts of the United Kingdom, the word pants is ambiguous: it can mean underpants rather than trousers.[1] Shorts are similar to trousers, but with legs that come down only to around the area of the knee, higher or lower depending on the style of the garment. To distinguish them from shorts, trousers may be called "long trousers" in certain contexts such as school uniform, where tailored shorts may be called "short trousers" in the UK.

The oldest known trousers, dating to the period between the thirteenth and the tenth centuries BC, were found at the Yanghai cemetery in Turpan, Xinjiang (Tocharia), in present-day western China.[2][3] Made of wool, the trousers had straight legs and wide crotches and were likely made for horseback riding.[4][5] A pair of trouser-like leggings dating back to 3350 and 3105 BC were found in the Austria–Italy border worn by Ötzi. In most of Europe, trousers have been worn since ancient times and throughout the Medieval period, becoming the most common form of lower-body clothing for adult males in the modern world. Breeches were worn instead of trousers in early modern Europe by some men in higher classes of society. Distinctive formal trousers are traditionally worn with formal and semi-formal day attire. Since the mid-twentieth century, trousers have increasingly been worn by women as well.

Jeans, made of denim, are a form of trousers for casual wear widely worn all over the world by people of all genders. Shorts are often preferred in hot weather or for some sports and also often by children and adolescents. Trousers are worn on the hips or waist and are often held up by buttons, elastic, a belt or suspenders (braces). Unless elastic, and especially for men, trousers usually provide a zippered or buttoned fly. Jeans usually feature side and rear pockets with pocket openings placed slightly below the waist band. It is also possible for trousers to provide cargo pockets further down the legs.

Maintenance of fit is more challenging for trousers than for some other garments. Leg-length can be adjusted with a hem, which helps to retain fit during the adolescent and early adulthood growth years. Tailoring adjustment of girth to accommodate weight gain or weight loss is relatively limited, and otherwise serviceable trousers may need to be replaced after a significant change in body composition. Higher-quality trousers often have extra fabric included in the centre-back seam allowance, so the waist can be let out further.

  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick, ed. (1979). Collins English Dictionary. London: Collins. p. 1061. ISBN 978-0-00-433078-5. pants pl. n. 1. British. an undergarment reaching from the waist to the thighs or knees. 2. the usual U.S. name for trousers.
  2. ^ Mayke Wagner; Moa Hallgren-Brekenkamp, Dongliang Xu, Xiaojing Kang, Patrick Wertmann, Carol James, Irina Elkina, Dominic Hosner, Christian Leipeg, Pavel E.Tarasovh, "The invention of twill tapestry points to Central Asia: Archaeological record of multiple textile techniques used to make the woollen outfit of a ca. 3000-year-old horse rider from Turfan, China", Archaeological Research in Asia, Volume 29, March 2022, 100344, doi:10.1016/j.ara.2021.100344.
  3. ^ Smith, Kiona N., "The world's oldest pants are a 3,000-year-old engineering marvel", Ars Technica, 4 April 2022.
  4. ^ Beck, Ulrike; Wagner, Mayke; Li, Xiao; Durkin-Meisterernst, Desmond; Tarasov, Pavel E. (22 May 2014). "The invention of trousers and its likely affiliation with horseback riding and mobility: A case study of late 2nd millennium BC finds from Turfan in eastern Central Asia". Quaternary International. 348: 224–235. Bibcode:2014QuInt.348..224B. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.04.056. ISSN 1040-6182.
  5. ^ Beck, Ulrike; Wagner, Mayke; Li, Xiao; Durkin-Meisterernst, Desmond; Tarasov, Pavel E. (2014). "First pants worn by horse riders 3,000 years ago". Quaternary International. 348. Science News: 224–235. Bibcode:2014QuInt.348..224B. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.04.056. Retrieved 6 December 2015.