Near 1648 'soldier [Croatian, originally] of the light cavalry'; 1649-52 'strip of fabric worn around the neck [as worn by Croatian horsemen]' (L. Richer, L'Ovide bouffon). The Croatian cavalrymen having formed a regiment of mercenaries from the reign of Louis XIII.

"In 1660 a regiment of Croats arrived in France — a part of their singular costume excited the greatest admiration, and was immediately and generally imitated; this was a tour de cou, made (for the private soldiers) of common lace, and of muslin or silk for the officers; the ends were arranged en rosette, or ornamented with a button or tuft, which hung gracefully on the breast. <...> The Cravats of the officers and people of rank were extremely fine, and the ends were embroidered or trimmed with broad lace; those for the lower classes were subsequently made of cloth or cotton, or at the best of black taffeta, plaited: Which was tied round the neck by two small strings." (Coffignon, A. (1888). Paris vivant. Les coulisses de la mode. La librairie illustrée. Paris, FR. p. 104).

Modern reconstruction of the XVII c. Croats uniform (The Cravat Regiment of  guard of honour in Zagreb, 2012).

From pantalones chinos.