The Western world have used pants since ancient times. They are now the most common form of lower-body clothing for men.
The invention of trousers happened because of the inconvenience of wearing robes on horseback, when rushing into battle. The first recorded use of trousers is in the sixth century BC.
In the beginning the Greeks and Romans laughed at this new trend, and called it ridiculous: "Trousers is the attire of barbarians and could NEVER take the place of my masculine toga" - in the 21st century, we can now laugh back at the ancient sarcastic attitude of the dress wearing men.
The Changing Shape of Trousers
Initially, trousers were a military garment. They came in the form of snug shorts or loose fitting trousers that closed at the ankles.
In the late 14th century, they developed into tight trousers with attached foot coverings. This garment had the appearance of hose and was worn by knights underneath plate armour.
By 1500, proportions becoming more and more exaggerated. Trousers were voluminous, ballooning over the thighs and nipping in at the ankle. They were made from ornate cloth, featuring slashes to reveal the colourful lining underneath.
Eventually, these trousers were slimmed down into simple breeches that fastened at the knee. But, these were later dropped in favour of the ankle length trousers worn by the working class.
It was only during the 19th century that we started to see trousers like the ones we wear today. They were a looser fit with a button fly, worn in neutral colours.
It was Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, who set the trend for trousers as we know them today. He was also the figure who took trousers creases into the mainstream.
In the last 100 years we have seen trousers all over the place for different purposes. Fashion has changed from baggy to bootcut to flair to skinny fit to cropped. Materials change based on trends and functionality, and as trousers became more versatile so does the characterisations; now you can buy chinos, jeans, leggings, jogging, shorts, knickers and many more.
Men under development indeed.