Harem Pants Revived for 2013?

Harem pants seem to have become a new fashion trend once again. Harem pants have become hard to go unnoticed these days with many fashion lines bringing the style back into their Spring 2013 lineups and showcasing them on the fashion runways. Originally a Turkish garment that was wrapped tightly around the ankles down and loose fitting from the knee up, the Harem pants have evolved into many different forms since being introduced into the fashion world.

Harem pants were first seen in many women clothing lines where they were introduced as a loose fitting, relaxed apparel that was cut at different lengths from the knee level down. Usually made from cotton or rayon the pants were seen as exotic, because of their origins from East Asia and traditional apparel of belly dancers. The pants are designed with a low cut under the crotch area and bring out a baggy form that hints at their relaxed feel and comfortable appearance to stroll around in. The past few years however have brought about a new look to the pants.

You may have seen MC Hammer don them in his music video “U Can’t Touch This” which brought out the parachute pant craze. PSY has also donned a variant of the pants in his “Gangnam Style” video. With the sudden influx in the media, many fashion brands have brought back the Harem pants for men which has received both positive and negative reviews about the new trend. Some note that the bagginess of the pants brought by some brands is too saggy while others have tapered the pants to a more stylish, mid length level cut that brings a unique look to the baggy style.

Personally, I have found the 3/4 length cut that wraps up slightly below the knees and contains the excessive-ness of the baggy crotch area to be the most appealing. It seems that a stiffer material that still maintains the baggy flow to it also handles much better than the thinner rayon material for men. I like the style and think it’s another nice option for men looking for some loose fitting pants that still display a unique sense of fashionable swagger to them.