Culottes are an item of clothing worn on the lower half of the body. The term can refer to either split skirts, historical mens breeches, or women's underpants. In English-speaking history, culottes were originally the knee-breeches commonly worn by gentlemen of the European upper-classes from the late Middle Ages or Renaissance through the early 19th century. The style of tight trousers ending just below the knee was popularized in France during the reign of Henry III (1574–1589). Culottes were normally closed and fastened about the leg, to the knee, by buttons.
In modern fashion, culottes are knee-length trousers that are cut to very closely resemble a skirt. They are often wide-leg trousers that come in all different colors and fabrics. Culottes, gauchos, and palazzo pants are all in the same family of wide-leg pants, with a few key differentiators. Namely, the length. Palazzo pants are long and flowy, while gauchos are cropped and wide. Culottes fall somewhere in between, typically hitting just below the knee.
Culottes can be a polarizing garment, but they are also modest and practical. They were first worn by aristocrats and military men, and were later adopted by sportswomen. Early discussions around culottes were really conversations about women’s mobility and role in society. Today, culottes are a fashionable item of clothing that can be styled in many different ways.
