Parachute pants, made of synthetic nylon material, were popularized in the 1980s by break dancers and artists like Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer. They were functional for break dancers as they lessened friction and stayed in place during movements. They can be embellished with bright colors, patterns, zippers, pockets, and pleats. They differ from harem pants in their cut.
Parachute pants are an iconic style of pants. They are known as “parachute” pants partly because of their loose fit and partly because they are made of synthetic nylon material like that used to make parachutes. Although mostly recognizable by break dancers and performers, pants also enjoy a fashionable status associated with the 1980s.
Parachute pants are characterized by their special cut and the fabric with which they are made. Their most recognizable attribute is their loose fit, followed by the synthetic ripstop nylon material from which they are created. The slack is centered around the thighs, but the cut tapers towards the legs to form a tight gathering around the ankle. In many ways, they seem to be the opposite of the bottoms of the bell-bottoms, which are tight around the thighs and drastically loosen when they reach the ankle area.
Parachute pants found their height in popularity in the 1980s. During this decade, a growing number of break dancers and artists like Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer helped popularize the style. As a result, parachute pants became a fashion that is now largely associated with the decade and its popular culture.
Despite their place in fashion history, parachute pants also served a legitimately functional purpose. Break dancers chose to wear these pants largely because the material lessened the friction between the break dancer’s body and the floor, protecting them from burns they might sustain after continued contact with the surface. The cut of the pants also allowed them to stay in place on a dancer’s body, regardless of the movements performed. These pants also provided a durable uniform because the material was strong and did not fray easily.
Like many other fashion pieces, parachute pants can be embellished. The pants were often made of a brightly colored material to suit the wearer or, in the case of an artist, the performance of it. The pants can also be made from patterned fabric. Extra zippers, pockets, and pleats were often added to pants, although many of these were less functional and added primarily to the aesthetic value of the pants. However, the additional pleats could prove to be advantageous to the dancers, as the pleats could move simultaneously with the dancer and add dramatic flair to a performance.
Parachute pants are not to be confused with harem pants. The styles are similar, but there are definite differences between the two. The main difference lies in the cut of the pants. Harem pants are usually a constant width through the leg, but gather up at the ankle. Parachute pants, on the other hand, are wider in the thigh area and begin to gather below the knee, resulting in a tight fit around the ankle.
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