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You are here: Home / Language / What Are Pantaloons, When Did Pants Originate, and Why Are Pants Referred To As a Pair?

What Are Pantaloons, When Did Pants Originate, and Why Are Pants Referred To As a Pair?

July 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Pants is short for pantaloons, and the item only became a single garment late in its history.

Up until the seventeenth century, the legs were covered with two separate sleeves of fabric called “hose,” which were tied to a belt with braces.

The open crotch was covered with breeches and a long tunic.

The plural reference to a single unit as a “pair of pants” is extended to trousers, slacks, and shorts.

Pantaloons came from the comic wardrobe of a stock character in the Commedia dell’Arte.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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