I Once Had a Pair of Flowing, Loose, Silky, Bohemian Pants - Need Name

June 12, 2019 9:40 PM

I had a pair of really nice and very loose Boho/Gypsy/Hippie cocktail/lounging pants/trousers (for women) in a paisley print of browns. The material was man-made but felt like silk. You could bunch up the entire pair and it would be the size of a medium sized orange. Or less. The material was ribbed. I think that's key. Tiny folds. The waist was elastic. Very, very light-weight.

I don't know the name for the material, the manufacturer or the style of this kind of free-flowing and stretchy material. Can you help me find the material and or a similar pair?

posted by watercarrier to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

Response by poster: Adding only that the material had tiny pleats.
posted by watercarrier at 10:01 PM on June 12, 2019

Best answer: I can’t find the pants themselves... but if the material is like this, only silky, the word you’re looking for that might help in your search is “micropleated.”
posted by verbminx at 10:35 PM on June 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: From your description I'm thinking something like Issey Miyake's pleats please collection/pants?
Quite upscale prices, but maybe you had a cheaper replica version with a print? Perhaps a good key word for you to search in any case?
posted by PardonMyFrench at 11:10 PM on June 12, 2019 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Something like these except in a print? I'd call them pleated culottes. They were all over a few years ago and Zara and H&M have a few models in the current collection.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:41 PM on June 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Searching for "micro-pleated paisley palazzo pants" brought up these, but I can't tell from the photo if there are actually micro-pleats.
posted by carmicha at 3:23 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Sometimes these are called “harem pants” in addition to the things above. Seconding Issey Miyake as a designer who uses the type of fabric you’re describing—I’ve had good luck finding IM stuff secondhand on Etsy.
posted by sallybrown at 3:44 AM on June 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I wonder if you should add/replae the word(s) crinkle/crepe to your search?
posted by humph at 3:49 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Was the material a knit or jersey? In any case you might look at travel clothing which is designed to be squished up and then released without much wrinkling.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 4:11 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Yessss I don't know about the micropleating vs crepe but that's probably a viscose/rayon (same thing)! Great silk substitute.
posted by lokta at 4:35 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Another name for that type of fabric is "plissé" (it's the French word but it gets used in fashion-y contexts sometimes) - it might be another good term to use in google searches.
posted by mskyle at 4:43 AM on June 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Maybe something like this?
Pants
posted by XtineHutch at 6:03 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm thinking palazzo pants.
posted by heathrowga at 6:06 AM on June 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Try "travel knit" as a search term. I'm pretty sure I know the sort of material you mean and it really was like tiny ribs, not really pleats. It was a feature of the fabric rather than the garment construction.

Also it didn't wrinkle and could be wadded up tiny and just shake out.
posted by oblique red at 6:50 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Agreed with trying "palazzo pants." They're made in all kinds of materials and patterns. Some will be pleated, some won't be. Some will be solids, some will be patterned.
posted by zizzle at 7:50 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: These These These caught my eye the other day! This site is so much fun. It has a little of everything.
posted by Oyéah at 9:48 AM on June 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Am still looking for something similar to what I had. With your help I'm making some progress - yay. Have to have my comfortable. soft, micro-pleated, plisse, rayon, paisley, palazzo, wide-legged, stretchy and flowing, full-length and awesome, lounge trousers. If you see them, drop me a MM. :)
posted by watercarrier at 11:37 AM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Anthropologie has some really nice choices.
posted by annieb at 3:22 PM on June 13, 2019

Since the question seems pretty well answered, and you may not have known this, I wanted to also mention that "Gypsy" is a slur, and it'd be a good idea to avoid using it or be extremely careful in doing so.
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:07 AM on June 14, 2019 [1 favorite]