Drop it ‘cause it’s hot

In the midst of structure, form and minimalism, a sinewy yet structural silhouette emerged from the fall/winter ‘08 runway: Say hello to drop-crotch pants.

Perhaps to stir up the somber theme of the season, this confusing yet intriguing item is quite aggressively being pushed into the mainstream.

From as early as the Dior Homme fall ‘07 runway to the racks of our local fashion brands, this piece of clothing is causing fashionistas everywhere to rethink their attachment to their skinnies and wide-legs.

But how do you wear it? Where did this come from? And more importantly, why now?

She moves her body like a cyclone

In the smoky, humid environment of the sensual harem, nubile women shook their booties for entertainment wearing clinking coins, a sheer face cloth, a midriff-baring top and harem pants. This was a loose pair made of a soft fabric gathered at the ankles — a perfect complement to the hip-grinding choreography. Hypnotic and strangely attractive even then, the early incarnation of the drop-crotch was an instant hit.

French kissed

Fast forward to the early 1900s: a groundbreaking French designer by the name of Paul Poiret found inspiration in the Orient and made harem pants popular in France. Freeing women from their corsets and heavy dresses, the loose pair was embraced by famous flappers and has since then been considered a groundbreaking part of the changing female form. This is considered to be the first taste of pants women had before trousers were made popular by Katharine Hepburn in Hollywood during the ’30s.

It’s Hammer time

Maybe in homage to the origin of drop-crotch pants, pop icon MC Hammer also shook his booty on stage wearing — what else? — harem pants. His version, of course, was waaaay looser at the crotch and the getup earned the name of parachute pants. Later on, to pay tribute to the hip-hop icon, they were called Hammer pants, defined in the Urban Dictionary as “a style of peg-legged baggy pants, with a huge billowing crotch down below the knees usually made out of a shiny metallic parachute material.” Strangely hypnotic and offering great entertainment on stage, this bold pair trickled down to the mainstream but was a very short-lived trend — just like the rapper. Love it or hate it, these pants made the image of MC Hammer unforgettable and unmistakable for years to come.

Here comes the hot stepper

With the strong presence of the hip-hop scene in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, street style dictated a pair of loose denim pants worn really low on the hips as the cool new way to wear jeans. The crotch was pulled down to the knees with the underwear intentionally exposed. Mothers hated them, schools prohibited them, even a few states in the US proposed a bill to ban low-slung pants. They were blamed as one of the causes for the increasing rate of delinquency, crime and poor grades among the kids. Who knew dropping the crotch could cause so much trouble? The last time there was this much hoopla about a clothing item was when the mini-skirt was introduced in the ‘60s.

Too legit to quit

So now, with the resurgence of the harem/parachute/Hammer/ mutton-leg/drop-crotch pants, where do we go from here?

The mysticism of drop-crotch pants comes from the fact that the style goes against the shape of what we think is a pair of good-fitting pants, and it focuses on an area that is just plainly controversial. But there are positive things that could come from this reemergence: 1) No camel toes; 2) No visible panty/briefs line. Whether we admit it or not, it is intriguing fashion and we secretly find ourselves wondering how we can wear it.

You can touch this

Like most other trends, this is not for everyone. Thin boys and girls with boyish, long frames look best in these. “It’s a brand new shape and it brings a new flavor to the mix,” muses local designer Rajo Laurel. “I would wear it with either flats or really high heels, nothing in between, and I would focus on the waist! Since you’re dropping the crotch, you must bring focus on the waist to give the line definition.” The contortion of the body’s normal proportions in these pants makes it very tricky to wear and, aside from the need to additionally lengthen the frame and define a waist, more than anything, the wearer needs attitude to carry it off. Wear it with a tank, tee or a blouse. With sky-high heels or sleek sneaks. It’s really up to you, but most of all, wear it with courage and conviction.