Wide leg jeans
Encyclopedia
Wide leg jeans or baggy pants are a style of clothing
popularized in the mid-to-late 1990s, while recently revived. The quintessential brand of 'hip-hop' style wide leg jeans
was JNCO
, though other youth and ethnic oriented clothing companies manufacture them as well.
cut down and bleached by the sea air. In the 1970s bell bottom trousers were worn by hippies and disco
fans, but modern-day baggy jeans originated in the ghetto
, where African American
children had to wear secondhand clothes, often handed down from an older sibling or cousin.
In the 1980s, baggy jeans entered mainstream fashion as the hammer pants
and parachute pants
worn by rappers to facilitate breakdancing. In the 1990s these jeans became even baggier and were worn by skater
s, hardcore punk
s, ravers and grungers to set themselves apart from the skintight acid wash drainpipe jeans worn by metalheads.
In the United Kingdom
, during the original 90s fad they were known as "baggies". However, this term faded with the original fad and now they are generally known as "wide leg jeans".
In the late 2000s, pop stars like Kanye West
popularised a more refined Indie-inspired look but baggy jeans continue to be worn by the raver
, gangsta rap
, and Nu-Metal subcultures. Additionally, baggy carpenter jeans
continue to be worn by skaters as these are less likely to rip and allow greater freedom of movement than the skinny jeans
popular among hipsters
and scene kids.
in that the entire length of the leg is large in circumference whereas flare or bell-bottom jeans become wider below the knee
. Wide leg jeans can be considered to be a variant of baggy jeans, which were also popular in the '90s.
Super wide leg jeans have a circumference at the hem of 23" to 26"; whereas, extreme wide leg jeans are greater than 26".
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
popularized in the mid-to-late 1990s, while recently revived. The quintessential brand of 'hip-hop' style wide leg jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
was JNCO
JNCO
JNCO, pronounced "Jenco", is a Los Angeles, California based clothing company specializing in boys and men's jeans. Founded in 1985 by Milo and Jacques Revah, JNCO is an acronym, short for: "Judge None, Choose One". The brand gained recognition in the early 1990s with its boys ultra-wide straight...
, though other youth and ethnic oriented clothing companies manufacture them as well.
History
Baggy jeans were first worn by West Coast surfers in the 1960s: old Levi Strauss jeansJeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
cut down and bleached by the sea air. In the 1970s bell bottom trousers were worn by hippies and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
fans, but modern-day baggy jeans originated in the ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
, where African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
children had to wear secondhand clothes, often handed down from an older sibling or cousin.
In the 1980s, baggy jeans entered mainstream fashion as the hammer pants
Hammer pants
Hammer Pants—inspired by harem pants, which originated in India and are often mistakenly referred to as “parachute pants”—are baggy pants tapered at the ankle perfect for breakdancing. They were popularized in the 1980s and 1990s by rapper MC Hammer....
and parachute pants
Parachute pants
Parachute pants are a style of trousers characterised by the use of nylon, especially ripstop nylon. In the original loose-fitting, extraneously zippered style of the late 70s/early 80s, "parachute" referred to the pants' synthetic nylon material. In the later 80s, "parachute" may have referred to...
worn by rappers to facilitate breakdancing. In the 1990s these jeans became even baggier and were worn by skater
Skater
Skater may refer to:*Skating , various activities:** Skater or skateboarder - someone who practices skateboarding, i.e. someone who rides a skateboard** Skater - someone who rides with rollerskates...
s, hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
s, ravers and grungers to set themselves apart from the skintight acid wash drainpipe jeans worn by metalheads.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, during the original 90s fad they were known as "baggies". However, this term faded with the original fad and now they are generally known as "wide leg jeans".
In the late 2000s, pop stars like Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
popularised a more refined Indie-inspired look but baggy jeans continue to be worn by the raver
Raver
Raver or ravers may refer to:* Raver, Maharashtra, a city in India* Raver, a party-goer: in the 1960s and 1970s, a "party animal"; since the 1980s, more specifically an aficionado of raves...
, gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
, and Nu-Metal subcultures. Additionally, baggy carpenter jeans
Carpenter jeans
Carpenter jeans are jeans with many pockets and loops which can be used to carry objects such as tools and are often loose around the leg to be able to accommodate the affixed items...
continue to be worn by skaters as these are less likely to rip and allow greater freedom of movement than the skinny jeans
Skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size. Other names for this style include pegs, drainpipes, stovepipes, Asian tight-pants, cigarette pants, skinny pants,insolent pants or skinnies...
popular among hipsters
Hipster (contemporary subculture)
Hipsters are a subculture of young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with musical interests mainly in alternative rock that appeared in the 1990s...
and scene kids.
Dimensions
Wide leg jeans and pants are at least 20" in circumference at the hem. Wide leg jeans differ from bell-bottomsBell-bottoms
Bell-bottoms are trousers that become wider from the knees downward. Related styles include flare, loon pants and boot-cut/leg trousers. Hip-huggers are bell-bottomed, flare, or boot-cut pants that are fitted tightly around the hips and thighs.-Naval origins:Bell-bottoms' precise origins are...
in that the entire length of the leg is large in circumference whereas flare or bell-bottom jeans become wider below the knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
. Wide leg jeans can be considered to be a variant of baggy jeans, which were also popular in the '90s.
Super wide leg jeans have a circumference at the hem of 23" to 26"; whereas, extreme wide leg jeans are greater than 26".
See also
- 1990s in fashion1990s in fashionThe 1990s was the genesis of two sweeping shifts in Western fashion: the beginning of the rejection of fashion which continues into the present decade among a large section of the population, and the beginning of the mainstream adoption of tattoos , body piercings aside from ear piercing and to a...
- Bell bottoms
- SaggingSagging (fashion)Sagging is a manner of wearing trousers below the waist, hanging below the waist area and therefore revealing much of the underwear. Sagging is predominantly a male fashion...
- Slim-fit pants