Fisherman Pants - what they are all about?

When mentioning 'fisherman pants', it could raise some eyebrows for most people who aren't familiar with the name. When speaking of fishermen these days, many people, perhaps more in the West, might think of the 'Deadliest Catch' style fishermen who fight for their lives (and their crabs) in an icy stormy ocean. But in Thailand, and countries in South East Asia, this isn't exactly the case. Here, it's warm (most of the time, too warm) all year around and fishermen don't really have to go out to catch their catch during the storm. So their outfit must be very light, durable, and flexible.

Traditionally, people who live around the gulf of Thailand and the Andaman sea, wear 'sarong', a simple piece of fabric wrapped around the waist. It's essentially a skirt but men don't call it that for an obvious reason. Due to the very warm climate all year round, the airy nature of sarong makes it an outfit of choice. It's also durable since nothing can really go wrong with a simple piece of fabric. Therefore, it's probably safe to say that, in the beginning, fishermen there worn sarong to find their catch. But very soon they realized that simple sarongs aren't secure enough for their physical demanding jobs, so they tie up the waist with a piece of rope to keep the sarong from slipping off their waist.

On a slippery deck of rocking fishing boat where constant movement is essential to keep their balance while doing their jobs, a skirt style outfit of sarong is hardly ideal due to its limited mobility. So, some fishermen might fancy a more flexible type of sarong and eventually devised a pants-type sarong with legs and crotch. But to keep them cool in the tropical heat, the legs must be big and the crotch must be low to keep this pants-like sarong airy. In essence, Thai fisherman pants is a sarong in a form of low crotch pants with a fabric rope attached to it. Therefore, Thai fisherman pants were invented from the necessity of professional fishermen in warm tropical waters.

Once these specialized pants devised from the need of the fishermen got into town, it probably isn't hard to imagine how quickly they have gained popularity, thanks to their comfort, simplicity, and durability. Many people use these pants as they daily wear instead of the traditional sarong. Adventurous tourists from the West (and Down Under) eventually found out how practical these pants are in many activities that require demanding mobility like dancing, yoga, and even rock climbing. They are the major part of helping spread the practicality of once humble fisherman pants throughout the world.

We, at BohoHill, took the traditional Thai fisherman pants to the next artistic level with our signature patchwork designs. So, our fisherman pants are not only practical and comfortable, they are also beautiful and unique, especially our Limited Edition that only one of each design exist in the world. Due to the rarity of the unique handwoven fabric, we cannot make two pairs of these limited edition pants that are alike, even if we want to. We even make the version that is more suitable for Westerners who are typically taller than Asians, with our extra-long size, something that only a handful of makers do. Our 3/4 length version (or Capri) is especially popular for those who demand maximum mobility like those to wear them for yoga, martial arts, and rock climbing.

Recently we took the fisherman pants design and fuse with Japanese hakama trousers to make the Samurai style pants that are exciting to look at and extremely comfortable to wear. With the pull-up tab design, the mobility is even better than the simpler 3/4 length design. This makes our Samurai style pants especially popular among martial artists and dance performers alike.

Now that you know what 'fisherman pants' are all about, you shouldn't feel hesitant to take them out for a spin. With our wide offering of designs and sizes, we are confident that you will find what you like.

Wonder how to wear them? We have a video to show you how.