Trousers first enter recorded history in the 6th century BCE, with the appearance of horse-riding Iranian peoples in Greek ethnography. At this time, not only the Persians, but also allied Eastern and Central Asian peoples such as the Bactrians, Armenians, Tigraxauda Scythians and Xiongnu Hunnu, are known to have worn them. Trousers are believed to have been worn by both sexes among these early users.
The ancient Greeks used the term anaxyrides for the trousers worn by Eastern nations and sarabara for the loose trousers worn by the Scythians. However, they did not wear trousers since they thought them ridiculous, using the word thulakoi, of thulakos, "sack", as a slang term for the loose trousers of Persians and other orientals.
Republican Rome viewed the draped clothing of Greek and Minoan (Cretan) culture as an emblem of civilization and disdained trousers as the mark of barbarians. As the Empire expanded beyond the Mediterranean basin, however, the greater warmth provided by trousers led to their adoption. Two types of trousers eventually saw widespread use in Rome: the Feminalia, which fit snugly and usually fell to knee or mid-calf length, and the Braccae, a loose-fitting trouser that was closed at the ankles. Both garments were adopted originally from the Celts of Europe, although later familiarity with the Persian Near East and the Teutons increased acceptance.
(wikipedia)
A form of 'feminalia'
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I'm fascinated by the history of fashion and the reason (or reasons) when men in Antiquity transitioned from tunics and togas to plain old trousers. It took a long time but eventually all men in Western cultures wear only pants. The barbarians won!
