Palazzo trousers: Oriental motifs in modern interpretation
We talk about trends from the podium, which can be adapted for your wardrobe for the next six months. This spring, two opposite trends are fighting for the palm of the championship: skinny low-rise trousers in the spirit of McQueen bamsters and loose palazzo trousers in the style of Marlene Dietrich. The latter, by the way, had time to transform into denser, demi-season and even winter models, more dense in texture, like those of Proenza Schouler, Opening Ceremony and Zimmerman. We understand what the secret of the popularity of the Palazzo in addition to their undeniable convenience.
How it all began
The forerunners of modern palazzo can be considered bloomers - wide pants with waist assemblies tapering towards the legs, whose birthplace is Persia, that is, modern Iran. They were preceded by skirts: they transformed into trousers for purely utilitarian reasons - it was much more convenient to go on military campaigns in pants. So skirts began to drag belts. And although such trousers were the first to be turned into men, soon everyone began to wear them: women appreciated the find and began to wear trousers for dresses. Moreover, the female trousers symbolized the restraint and innocence of the owner, as they hid the figure from prying eyes. In Japan, for example, wide pants were considered a real luxury, they were forbidden to be worn by people from the lower class. The only exceptions were solemn occasions - weddings or national holidays.
However, the Western world was far from such ideas about women's wardrobe. Only at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the American suffragist and Amelia Blumer, a fighter for women's rights, women began to consider trousers as an alternative to crinolines. In the magazine The Lily, which was a kind of mouthpiece of progressive views Bloomer, a woman called for the reform of clothing. Many mistakenly attributed Amelia to the invention of the first loose-fitting women's trousers (named for her “bloomers”), but her friend Elizabeth Smith Miller came up with them - in 1899 she returned from European resorts in a cropped skirt over wide pants.
Amelia told about the outfit on the pages of the newspaper and was one of the first to support the new trend: “At first, I was not going to fully adopt this style; I also didn’t think that my act would cause such a reaction in the whole civilized world and that my name , although its founder is Mrs. Miller. For all the reason for the press. " And while the bloomers were mocked by all and sundry, there were also those who sided with Amelia: hundreds of women across the country asked for more to talk about trousers and how to carve them out correctly. The bloomers did not enter the masses at once, but clearly indicated the desire of women to do away with the burden of long, heavy skirts.
It was only in 1911 that the French designer Paul Poiret presented harem trousers, or harem pants, which became the prototype of modern palazzo trousers at the costume festival "1002nd night". Poiret was then fond of the East - it was the time of the triumph of the Russian ballet, "Dyagilevsky seasons" in Paris. And although the designer proudly claimed that he had discovered a new culture for himself before Dygilev's tour, trousers and turbans came into vogue just on the wave of popularity of the East in the West. Harem trousers were a real breakthrough and conquered the Parisian bohemians.
After the end of the First World War, the trend has sunk into oblivion, and only a few decided to wear wide trousers outside the house: the palazzo was associated with leisure or sports. Just in the era of the “roaring twenties”, when women were tired of meeting the concept of the norm, Coco Chanel presented her version of pants, inspired by flared trousers of Venetian gondoliers. The designer suggested wearing such a style during leisurely walks along the embankment. At that time, few dared to wear trousers - for example, actresses Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn. Progressive trends were not honored: a woman in trousers could not even be allowed into a cafe or restaurant.
This lasted for several more decades, until in 1965 the aristocratic Irene Golitsyna, residing in Italy, did not make a real revolution in the fashion world. In her second Galitzine collection, she presented spacious “pajamas palazzo” decorated with pearls, precious stones and silver. Irina herself, her friends and clients acted as fashion models, and the show took place in Florence Palazzo Pitti. The success was colossal: trouser suits with the label "Irene Galitzine" began to be sold in the largest stores in the world. By the way, the costume received its name "pigiama palazzo" with the light hand of Diane Vreeland, editor-in-chief of American Vogue. However, there is another version: around the same time, the Italian designer Emilio Pucci created wide women's pants made of silk jersey with geometric patterns and presented them at the show all in the same Palazzo Pitti.
By the beginning of the 70s, the situation began to change for the better. In 1975, actress Ingrid Bergman attended the Oscars at the Palazzo, although the dress code allowed only a strict suit or evening dress to the floor. And in 1977, Woody Allen's film "Annie Hall" was released on screens with Diane Keaton, walking the streets of New York in loose trousers. It was in the mid-70s wide trousers finally become a full-fledged subject of women's wardrobe.
How are the palazzo back in fashion
In the early eighties in the West, power dressing was gaining momentum - during this period women sought to show their competence in the business sphere. So, jackets with shoulder pads, pencil skirts and wide trousers appear in their wardrobe. They could be seen in the collections of Giorgio Armani, Thierry Mugler and, of course, Yves Saint Laurent. We already wrote that most modern designers are inspired just in the fashion of this decade: the trend for new interpretation of power dressing began in the autumn-winter season and continues to this day. Indeed, the classic wide pants, plaid or striped, which could be seen on the movie heroes of the 80s (for example, in the film "Business Woman"), are already sold in the mass market.
As for the new season, the palazzo can be seen in the collections of a huge number of stamps. Stella McCartney presented baggy pants belted with drawstring in combination with voluminous jackets. Undercover decorated the trousers with a pop art print in the style of the 90s, and Italian Seraphim Sama from Iris Afren was clearly inspired by the safari style. Nina Ricci showed how to wear wide trousers in a cage with a bright blouse and pointy boats. Maximum wide pants can also be found at Céline, Proenza Schouler, MSGM, Elie Saab and Dries Van Noten.
What to wear them with today
It is worth making a reservation that palazzo trousers are not the most practical part of the wardrobe in the Russian spring. In order to wear them without fear of staining, it is worth waiting for at least dry asphalt. If there is no strength to wear, wear wide trousers with midi length coats, as suggested by Proenza Schouler, or a leather jacket, as advised by Balenciaga. They look great with huge down jackets and short sheepskin coats.
Do not be afraid of texture: palazzo leather trousers or wide jeans look only unusual at first glance. If you combine them with simple blouses, jackets with a slightly increased shoulder line or turtleneck, you get a set for each day, which is suitable for work and for a party. In the warm season, a palazzo made of silk or flax can be worn with bodysuits, crop tops, light T-shirts and other things that can balance a wide bottom.
Slightly cropped palazzo pants are the easiest option for combinations. In winter, they fit sneakers and rough shoes, and in summer they wear kitten heels and sandals. Alternatively, you can pick up a hard-shaped bag or a wicker basket, and a wide-brimmed hat as a headdress.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, United Artists Studio, Ji Oh, Melitta Baumeister, Joseph
