Culottes Through History

Culottes - Originally this term of French origins was used to describe men's knee length breeches (knickers) worn by the European gentlemen of the upper class in the Middle Ages/Renaissance. Culottes (often made of silk) were tight and cut below the knee, where they were buttoned or tied around the leg. These "simple" pants have experienced quite a dramatic history, as seen during the French Revolution, when revolutionary fighters known as the sans-culottes rejected the wearing of the culottes as their way of turning against the aristocratic system. They opted for trousers.
























Today, culottes best describe a women's skirt that is split down the middle and turned into pants. These wonderful skirt-like pants can come in handy when a lady would like to retain her femininity while riding a horse or in the case of the urban lady, riding a bike. They're also perfect for walking around Manhattan on a breezy Spring day, without the worry of a Marylin Monroe situation. 

Looks like thees ladies could use a pair of culottes. photo credit

 The long skirts of the Victorian Era didn't make particpating in physical activities, such as bicycling, horse back riding, and tennis very easy. The introduction of the culottes enabled women to retain the illusion of a skirt while gaining the functionality of the pant. Often they would go as far as wrapping fabric around the waist in order to disguise the pant qualities of the culottes. 

This season the culotte is back and chicer than ever. 

My favorite street style culottes. Photo Credit

My take on this Spring trend:

The Look:

Culottes (more like cropped trousers) - Zimmermann
Linen top w/ leather detail - A.L.C. 
Shoes - Nicholas Kirkwood (Sample Sale)
Rings - Elizabeth & James (Sample Sale)
Clutch - Clare Vivier (Laptop Case from Apple)
Suede frame sunglasses - Miu Miu

The Rules:

For the most part you want to wear your culottes with a heel. There may be a few excepts, but overall I much prefer them with a heel, the higher the better. I was definitely living on the edge with a 2 inch Kirkwood...
 
Transition this look into night:

I ditched the culottes for a white leather skirt (Club Monaco), added a black turtleneck and tights, and threw a black DVF blazer over it.