Who are these people who wear colored pants?

“I’ve been wearing them since high school, when I started to gain confidence and wanted to hide behind dark clothes less,” explains 26-year-old Marine of Clermont-Ferrand about the colorful pants. And continues. “These are quite wide and flowing trousers. I have several models, including red, blue, powder pink. It has been ten years since this travel consultant of the tourist office can’t do without it. Pieces that, he says, are a change from traditional jeans and give him the energy shot he needs to get through the day. “I find that colored pants give you the confidence you need. For example, I like to wear them on formal occasions, like on a date. It immediately shows the original side of my personality.’ And to avoid flirting with the “rainbow” look, she combines them with dark tops.

For clothing anthropologist Aude LeGuennec, choosing a pair of colored trousers for public appearances is not trivial. On the contrary, it determines where we come from, the generation we belong to, and sometimes the activities we do. “We always create our identity with colored trousers. It will accommodate individuals by pasting an image on them. It’s an alternative to jeans when you can’t or don’t want to wear jeans, offering a sportier side. Colored trousers help to create a connection between individuals, to differentiate themselves.” This professor at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland is categorical. “The United Kingdom is known for its colorful wardrobe. There, chinos are a staple at Mark & ​​Spencer. Unlike in France, where it appeals to a certain social category, older people or young people who are a bit bohemian. If you take the TGV to Brittany, you’ll see a lot of them. Tourists who come to Brittany, or Bretons in general, wear colored trousers.’

On the spot. Christel, a proud 55-year-old Breton, is a fan. “I like the fun part because wearing color, especially in the winter, allows you to stand out from these people who are all wearing black. It also adds joy to an increasingly sad world.” At the school where she works, not far from the coast and its Breton fishermen, who wear burgundy, mustard, rolled-up navy trousers, the teacher is known for her sociable good humour. Bright pants to listen to has something to do with it. “It allows me to show the sunny side of my personality, to stand out, because color means light. I think the color is more common in more sociable people. What is my business?”

From the British Army to academic elites

Before being adopted by tourists, young people in the bohemian districts of big cities, or Bretons, colorful trousers appeared in the 19th century. Indeed, around 1848, British officer Sir Harry Lumsden thought that the army uniform, then consisting of a red wool jacket and white trousers, was too visible. What does Aud Le Guenec, who was the curator of the exhibition, explain? Dressing up for school In the National Education Museum of Rouen. “Then the soldiers began to adopt cotton models, which were more discreet, light and comfortable. Army pants were later used to destroy the US Army after World War II.

It is when stocks of chinos are sold to the population that they become more popular. In 1944, the United States Congress passed the GI Bill, an American law that provided soldiers discharged from World War II with funding for their university education. The Chinese are thus established in mainstream schools. “In the 1960s, it was used in university circles on the American East Coast, then adopted by fashion brands like Ralph Lauren,” notes Od. This is surely where the collective imagination of a somewhat preppy university silhouette takes its roots. And with that, these straight pants, also called chinos, are characterized by a color that symbolizes rank or institution. Not forgetting the success of the impeccable silhouettes of Ralph Lauren, Tom Brown or Tommy Hilfiger, thanks to which colored pants become a social sign, a symbol of opulence, even a piece reserved for the elite.

Because whatever we say, the wise cut of these pants betrays a little bourgeois side. Again in 2024, we see him parading through the streets of Paris’ posh 7th arrondissement, where this remains the rare “chic” piece that a man in a hurry, in a suit and tie, will afford to wear on the weekend. These are the pants that the wealthy class pairs with a button-down blazer, an off-the-shoulder sweater, and ankle boots.

In the 1960s, it was used in academic circles on the American East Coast and used by famous brands such as Ralph Lauren.

Aud Le Guenec, Anthropologist of Clothing

A piece of technicolor

Over time, the color was no longer reserved exclusively for chinos. In 1976, three years after announcing her retirement from acting, Brigitte Bardot advertised a pair of pop-colored pants that became a huge hit: Karting. Made from a dense knit, the flexibility and form-fitting cut make it a staple in BB’s wardrobe, already widely recognized by women. A few copies will be sold in a few months. It was even re-released in 2010 in white, black, purple, turquoise, lemon yellow, poppy red and mango; it’s hardly surprising when we know that this decade will bring colorful trousers to the mainstream, in their skinny version too. Indeed, while Hedi Slimane in Dior Homme means a slight cut, color matters; slim neon version for girls and colorful chinos for boys. The series is proof JoyRyan Murphy’s pop gem that was a hit at the same time. every character on the screen embodies the cliché of a teenager of that time. Actor Darren Criss plays Blaine Anderson, a high school student at a private school whose wardrobe is focused solely on plaid shirts with ribbons, bow ties, cute moccasins… and colorful pants.

For Judith Langendorff, PhD in Cinematography and Audiovisual Studies, author of The emergence of night and color (2021), the success of colored pants is partly related to cinema. “The color phenomenon in cinema has been around for quite some time and was perfected in the late 1970s, there were already a lot of them as the big screen was able to handle them better.” But especially in the 80s, colored pants experienced their golden age. “I’m thinking about the movie blow By Brian De Palma, John Travolta and his blue pants or even Tony Montana scar face with its oil package. In the future, we can also quote Sofia Coppola’s pastel filmography. In cinema, costumes are important and allow us to enter an idealized world. We want to see the color of life that we see on screen.”

I recommend tweed, silk taffeta, knitwear. And especially corduroy for winter. It’s super fancy in mustard.

Astrid, assistant stylist

How to wear it without feeling “stuck”?

From a style point of view, colored trousers are not the easiest way to go. First, because we live in a society where everyone agrees on blue jeans. Then, because it is difficult to combine with other colored or printed pieces. “Where I work, we make jeans in all colors. And it works really well with a monochrome look,” reassures Astrid, an assistant stylist at a high-end ready-to-wear brand. But he sets a limit. “Colored pants are only beautiful if the material is honest. I recommend tweed, silk taffeta, knitwear. And for winter, above all, velvet. It’s super fancy in mustard.” Leopoldin, his colleague, shares the same opinion. “You don’t have to wear pink pants with a white or dark shirt, otherwise that’s all you see.” The expert recommends combining it with a denim jacket, brown ankle boots… “It’s not easy, we’re still in the minimalist era. Especially in winter, when people tend to dress in black.”

In this case, we take inspiration from Queen Letizia of Spain, Alexa Chung, Kate Middleton… All these influential women who wear colored jeans and chinos as a central or total look. There are many brands that offer fashionable models for these gentlemen. As for the representatives of the fairer sex, the main thing is to choose colored pants from good material. We think, for example, of Mr. Marvis, launched in 2016 in Amsterdam, specializing in shorts and pants presented in countless colors. “We offer a variety of colors that are both subdued and vibrant,” says co-founder Steven Vrandenberg. “We choose our colors based on style, garment material and season to give our customers as many options as possible.” Proof that colored pants have never gone out of fashion. It was just, like the other pieces, adapted.