A trendy traditional item – the harem trousers
In order to have a casual chic look, one of the options for the last years is a must have piece of clothing – the harem trousers. Wide, light and fluid, the harem pants are tight at the waist, wide on the thighs and tight on the knee or ankle. The harem pants are generally uni, but there are also patterned versions (camouflage, patchwork). Their lightweight stretch fabric (jersey, hemp, viscose, cotton) ensures comfort and perfect elasticity. They can be adorned with side pockets, a fabric belt and strings to provide them with a blur and a sensation of fluid falling. The belt is often made of a strip of stretch fabric, a zipper, snaps or ties sliding on the belly or on the hips.
Traditional piece of clothing, harem trousers originate from the warm countries of the East and they are commonly worn inPersia,India, theMiddle EastandNorth Africa, particularly in the Saudi desert. The harem pants can replace canvas shorts for a casual outfit, when worn with a T-shirt or white tank top and leather gladiator sandals, but they can also complete an elegant, classy and original outfit for an evening when worn with a small top neckline, a patent belt and high open-heeled shoes.
The harem pants have become so trendy that the fashion designers and major retailers include them in all forms and colors within their collections. Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent created ultra chic models, while the ready-to-wear chains like Zara and H & M came with cool and casual versions. The big names (Lacoste, Michael Kors and Donna Karan) offer high-end sport models, while Camaïeu, Blue Wax and La Redoute launched on the market more accessible models.
If you travel to its countries of origin, you might find more typical harem pants in the souks. In India, for example, the harem pants come in crumpled mixed models (for men and women) or in their traditional version. In Afghanistan, the harem pants are very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The waist is maintained with a strip of fabric, zips on the sides and the bottom of the legs consists of a rubber band. In Morocco, the colors are more vivid as they do not hesitate to wear orange, teal, red or purple harem pants. The belt usually consists of a strip of cloth to tie, and the trousers come down to the ankles.
