17 Types of Pants: A Guide to Different Pants Styles

Pants are a lower-body garment that covers each leg separately. Pants, or trousers in British English, come in various lengths, styles, and materials for different functions and occasions.

The oldest known pants, found at the Yanghai cemetery in China, are dated between the thirteenth and the tenth century BCE in China. Throughout history, the functionality and fashion trends of pants have evolved:

• Horse riding: Pants were first designed for cavalry, as robes and kimonos were impractical for horseback riding.
• Weather conditions: Iranian men wore loose, wide-legged pants to combat the extreme desert weather. Ancient Romans adapted skin-tight leather trousers for warmth.
• Gender: In nineteenth-century Europe, pants were primarily worn by men, but as the twentieth century progressed, more women started wearing pants. During World War II, women wore pants en masse as they began working in factories.

Pants come in many different styles and materials, including woven fabric, such as denim jeans or corduroy pants, and synthetic materials like polyester and lycra. Some examples of pants styles include:

1. 1. Bell bottoms: These pants are close-fitting along the thigh and then widely flare out from the knee to the hem. These flared pants can be made out of both woven fabric and denim.
2. 2. Bootcut: Bootcut pants are close-fitting along the thigh and then flare out slightly from the knees to the hem, though not as wide as bell bottoms.
3. 3. Capri: Capri pants are knee-length or sometimes cropped right below the knee. They can be loose or form-fitting. Culottes are wide-leg capri pants. Another type of capri pants are Toreador pants—slim-fitting silk or satin pants for matadors.
4. 4. Cargo pants: These baggy pants have multiple large patch pockets on each leg for storage.
5. 5. Chino pants: Chino is a cotton twill fabric, and pants made with that fabric are called chinos. Chinos feature a flat front and can be worn casually with a t-shirt or with a blazer for a dressy look.
6. 6. Cigarette pants: These ankle-length skinny pants feature a high-waist and a slim fit along the leg. Denim cigarette pants are known as skinny jeans.
7. 7. Dress pants: Dress pants, also known as suit pants when paired with a suit jacket, are common attire for professional or formal situations. Dress pants typically feature pleats down the leg and can be straight-leg or slim fit.
8. 8. Harem pants: These loose-fitting pants have a low crotch and are extremely baggy at the hips and thighs and taper at the leg.
9. 9. High waist pants: High waist pants, also known as high-rise pants, have a waistline that begins at the wearer’s natural waist.
10. 10. Jeans: Jeans are pants made from denim fabric and typically feature belt loops. Jeans with a bib top are known as dungarees.
11. 11. Joggers: Also known as sweatpants, these pants are made of soft, breathable fabrics for exercising. Joggers are loose-fitting pants with a drawstring closure and taper at the leg.
12. 12. Leggings: Leggings are close-fitting, elastic-band pants made of stretchy material, such as spandex and lycra. Leggings are also known as yoga pants, and leggings of denim are called jeggings.
13. 13. Low-rise pants: Low-rise pants feature a waistline that begins below the belly button.
14. 14. Stirrup pants: These slim-fit pants have a strap at the bottom of the pant leg for the foot to go through. These leggings were designed to be covered by knee-length boots worn by equestrians. (Jodhpurs, another type of horse riding pants, are loose pants that are fitted at the ankles.)
15. 15. Straight-leg pants: These pants are straight from the waist to the hem. Straight-leg trousers are a common style in dress pants.
16. 16. Track pants: These lightweight, straight-leg pants were initially designed to be worn over athletic clothing. Matching track pants and jackets are called tracksuits.
17. 17. Wide-leg pants: Wide-leg pants, also known as palazzo pants, are fitted at the waist and flare out from the hips.

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