Photo: Courtesy of Mayke Wagner/German Archaeological Institute.You've probably got a pair of pants knocking around in your closet that's matured from new to vintage, with you as the sole owner. Whether they're 15 years old or 50, your trousers are basically toddlers when compared to the discovery a team of German archeologists recently made in Xinjian, China.
Though they look like $900 Isabel Marants that didn't quite survive a weekend at Glastonbury, these 3,000-year-old pants are the oldest pair found in the world, and mark the first time in history that the local people started wearing pants instead of skirts. With very on-trend strips of patterns and a slouchy, tapered fit, the pair's most distinctive feature is its drop-crotch. Specifically made to aid in horse riding, these pants confirm historians' long-suspected theory that the domestication of horses is what led to the invention of our beloved two-legged garments.
The ancient pair is too delicate to actually be worn, but the team of scientists made a reproduction that one of them tried on. The results? "[The archaeologist] had the clear impression that the trousers would be uncomfortable for long walking." Glad to know that suffering for fashion has been around as long as clothing has. Should you whip up any blisters this weekend in ill-advised shoes, you now know your behavior's backed up by a long human tradition. So, wear your wounds with pride. (Science Direct)