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Stanley Kirk Burrell, famously known as M.C. Hammer, has a strong dislike for the term 'parachute pants.' In a 2016 interview with Racked, he insisted, 'They’re called Hammer pants.'
Hammer is right in asserting the colloquial term. Ever since his 1990 hit 'U Can’t Touch This' catapulted him to fame, the artist has become inseparable from the iconic, baggy trousers that sag at the crotch and narrow at the ankles. These pants have influenced numerous fashion designers and musicians alike.
Although Hammer is largely responsible for popularizing these pants, he didn’t invent them. Whether referred to as harem pants, parachute pants, or Hammer’s preferred 'Hammer pants,' their history dates back to the 1800s, linked to a progressive feminist movement and the unique fashion trends of Swiss health retreats.
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While loose, flowing trousers first emerged in ancient Persia, India, and Turkey, the modern iteration of Hammer pants likely traces back to 19th-century women advocating for more functional clothing.
During the Victorian period, women's fashion was notoriously constricting, featuring tight corsets and bodices. Elizabeth Smith Miller, a New York socialite and women's rights advocate, visited Switzerland in the mid-1800s and observed patients in sanitariums wearing roomy pants paired with shorter dresses for ease of movement. Upon her return, Miller promoted this style, which was further popularized by fashion publications and media outlets.
Amelia Bloomer, the editor of The Lily—America's first women-run newspaper—championed this progressive style. In her publication, Bloomer (whose name inspired the term "bloomers") praised the "freedom dress" and urged women to adopt pants that allowed for unrestricted movement, while also critiquing the stark differences between men's and women's clothing.
Despite their appeal, these "Turkish Trousers" didn't gain widespread acceptance, as many women were hesitant to adopt attire traditionally associated with men. It wasn't until 1911, when designer Paul Poiret unveiled his "harem" trousers, that women rediscovered the allure of these liberating garments.
The pants experienced occasional resurgences over the years, but their next major fashion moment came when Burrell sought a distinctive stage look.
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Born in Oakland, California in 1962, the artist who would become M.C. Hammer initially dreamed of a career in major league baseball before being drawn to the world of performance. In the late 1970s, he frequented discos, where his smooth dance moves captivated audiences. To enhance his style, he wore triple-pleated zoot suit bottoms so oversized they became a spectacle themselves.
"The baggier the pants, the more your dancing stands out," Hammer explained to The New York Times in 2008.
From discos, Hammer transitioned to club performances and eventually secured a record deal. By 1990, he was named one of Entertainment Weekly's "Entertainers of the Year" and sold over 8 million copies of his album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt ‘'m.
Hammer's success allowed him to commission custom-made harem pants, which became iconic in his music videos, concerts, and fashion influence. Vanilla Ice, who rose to fame around the same time, once claimed his record label paid him $1 million to wear Hammer pants during a performance.
"You can make a bold fashion statement," Hammer explained to ABC News in 2009, discussing his love for baggy pants. "They allow you to move freely, dance effortlessly ... and offer unmatched flexibility. There's a slight delay—you move first, then the pants follow, adding a unique flair to your motion."
Over time, Hammer's signature pants faded from popularity, much like Steve Urkel's style and slap bracelets, though they’ve resurfaced occasionally. They’ve appeared in parodies, such as Hammer’s recent Starburst ads, and in high-profile fashion lines by designers like Dior and Burberry. They also made a nostalgic appearance in a 1992 video featuring Ryan Gosling, who described it as "some kind of Canadian Star Search."
"I don’t think we fully embraced that style of pants," Gosling remarked during an interview on The Graham Norton Show. "We abandoned them after M.C. Hammer, but we really should have kept them around."
