Parachute Pants - originally known as flight pants, are a style of trousers characterized by the use of nylon, especially ripstop nylon. In the original tight-fitting style of the early 1980s, "parachute" referred to the pants' nylon material, similar to a parachute's. Parachute pants became a fad in US culture in the 1980s as part of the increased popularity of breakdancing.
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| Parachute Pants |
Hammer / Harem pants - baggy, low crotch pants. Like, really low. Practically the opposite of parachute pants. Technically Hammer pants are a version of Harem pants - baggy pants drawn in at the ankles.
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| Hammer Pants |
Elephant Pants - Bohemian style of Harem pants that often featured Thai prints, sometimes including elephants. Legs could be tapered or palazzo style. Typically one-size fits all. They were around in the '80s, but I wouldn't say that was their peak. Mostly I'm just including them for comparison.
Zubaz/Skater Pants - These had a lot of names. Jammers, Gym pants, Beach pants, Muscle pants, Zubaz, etc. Some even call them Harem pants. These were bright cotton print pants that were easy to move in, typically with an elastic (or otherwise adjustable) waist and often a large, prominent label. These were very late '80s and in some cases more of an early '90s fad. See also: Zubaz, Billabong, Limpies, Jams, Gecko Hawaii.
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| Note: This ad is from the early '90s |
Chinos - put simply, these were khakis. Made from 100% cotton twill in China, the trousers were known in Spanish as pantalones chinos (Chinese pants), which became shortened to simply "chinos" in English (source: Wikipedia)
