What Length Are Capri Pants?
Capri pants are hemmed above the ankle. Its length may fall right below the knee or at mid-calf. It may be fitted and tapered or have a straight leg. Capri pants are also called three-quarter-length pants, clam diggers or pedal pushers. Typically, it has slits on the outside of the pant legs. The style emerged in Europe in the late 1940s. Its name comes from the island of Capri, a popular resort destination in Italy.
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History: Sonja de Lennart
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In the late 1940s, Prussian fashion designer Sonja de Lennart designed the capri collection. Aside from pants, the collection also featured a skirt, blouse, belt and hat. Her designs caught the attention of Hollywood costume designers who then dressed their actors in her garments or versions of them. Movies like "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" featured the actress Audrey Hepburn in slim-cut capri pants.
Emilio Pucci
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Capri pants are also credited to Italian designer Emilio Pucci. In 1949, he opened his boutique in the island of Capri where capri pants, along with a host of his signature pieces were sold. The island was a popular vacation spot among the privileged class. Consequently, Pucci's designs came to be known through the social figures and film stars who wore them.
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The 1960s
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Capri pants reached its popularity in America in the 1960s. At that time, sitcoms with female characters were limited to a wardrobe of skirts and dresses. "The Dick Van Dyke Show" changed the status quo. Author Vince Waldron writes, "Mary Tyler Moore's insistence in wearing her own form-fitting slacks on television was little short of revolutionary in 1961." The show was not only highly rated but Mary Tyler Moore's capri pants influenced the direction of American women's fashion (Waldron, 2000, pp128-130).
Wearing Capri Pants
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Some women may avoid the three-quarter length of Capri pants because it gives the appearance of breaking the length of the leg instead of elongating it (Galvez, 2006, p. 190). On the other hand, a length that shows off the ankles, which are the slimmest part of the leg, combined with a straight cut may actually make one look leaner (Maxfield, 2004, p. 66).
The 1990s
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The 1990s and 2000s, saw a resurgence in the capri pant trend. No longer just a look associated with leisurely traveling, capri pants have found their way into everyday casual dressing. And, in some occasions, at the work place or at semi-formal events. capri pants have also transitioned to menswear with what is now called, the "manpri."
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References
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Comments
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meinrath
Sep 12, 2009
Hello Bettina, just want you to know that Pucci reps confirmed toward New York Times " that Pucci is NOT credited with the Capri pants" he just sold them (ten years after Sonja de Lennart invented the Original Capri Collection that included the Original Capri). When Sonja de Lennart created the Capri Collection(Capri Skirt, Capri Blouse, Capri Hat, Capri Belt and Capri Pants/ 1945-1948) Pucci created his 'black phase,' (quote) "In 1949, Pucci presented at that time his first totally black and white sport collection, besides that he put on EVERY of his creations his logo "Emilio" (he was very proud of his Emilio logo). By the end of the 1950s, he sold (like so many others) Capri Pants. To credit Pucci with the Original Capri would be a trademark violation anyway. So I hope my information helped. M. Guenther, Professor of History
