Breeches
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg.
The spelling britches reflects a common pronunciation, and is generally used in casual speech to mean "pants". Breeks is a Scots or northern English spelling and pronunciation.
See more at Trousers, Knickers.
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[edit] Etymology
Breeches is a double plural known since c.1205, from Old English (and before Old French) bréc or breoc, which was already pl. of bróc "garment for the legs and trunk," from the Proto-Germanic root brokiz. Breeches is related to the Old Norse word brók, which shows up in the name of the Viking king Ragnar Lodbrok (originally Loðbrók), Ragnar "Hairy-breeches". The original Proto-Germanic word is related to another Proto-Germanic root, brekan, meaning approximately "broken" or "split off", which is related to modern English "break". It is also related, indirectly to the Latin word bracca, loaned from Celtic which in turn borrowed it from Germanic; the Romans, who did not generally wear pants, referred to Germanic tribes as braccati, "trousers wearing" (actually then merely fabric wrapped around the legs.)
Like other words for similar garments (pants, knickers, shorts; using an obvious plural, as if to reflect it has two legs, as for most synonyms in English, is no longer common in other languages, e.g. the parallel modern Dutch broek), the word breeches has been applied to both outer garments and underwear.
At first it indicated a cloth worn as underwear by both men and women; by the Middle Ages breeches meant "drawers" or "underpants".
In the latter sixteenth century, breeches began to replace hose (while the German Hosen, also a plural, ousted Bruch) as the general English term for men's lower outer garments, a usage that remained standard until knee-length breeches were replaced for everyday wear by long pantaloons or trousers.
[edit] Types of breeches
The terms breeches or knee-breeches specifically designate the knee-length garments worn by men from the later sixteenth century to the early nineteenth century (and into the early twentieth century as part of servants' livery).
- Spanish breeches, stiff, ungathered breeches popular from the 1630s until the 1650s.
- Petticoat breeches, very full, ungathered breeches popular from the 1650s until the early 1660s, giving the impression of a woman's petticoat.
- Rhinegraves, full, gathered breeches popular from the early 1660s until the mid 1670s, often worn with an overskirt over them.
- Fall front breeches, breeches with a panel or flap covering the front opening and fastened up with buttons at either corner.
- In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the term breech-cloth or breech-clout was also used to describe the apron-like loincloths worn by some Native American peoples.
- In contemporary contexts, breeches are distinguished from other forms of pants or trousers as being shorter than ankle-length and form-fitting, as riding breeches.
- Breeches are also an item of protective clothing used in the martial art of Fencing.
[edit] Breech
The singular meanwhile survived in the metaphorical sense of the part of the body covered by breeches, i.e. posterior, buttocks; paradoxically, the alliterating expression 'bare breech' thus means without any inner or outer breeches.[citation needed]
This also led to the following:
- a (gun) breech is the part of a firearm behind the bore (known since 1575 in gunnery).[citation needed]
- breech birth in childbirthing (since 1673)
[edit] Riding Breeches
Riding breeches are specifically designed for equestrian activities. Traditionally, they were tight in the legs and baggy in the hips. However, with the advent of new materials such as spandex, modern britches are skin-tight.
There are three types of riding breeches:
- Jodhpurs: which are commonly placed in a separate category other than breeches. They are commonly worn by children. They are also worn by adults in riding lessons and casual riding as well as in the show ring in the UK and Australia. These riding pants have elastic "stirrups" to fasten under the rider's boots, which prevents the pants from rising up. They are meant to be worn with "jodhpur boots," which come up to the ankles, and some also are worn with garters, to prevent them from rising.
- Knee patch: having grippy material only in the knee area. These are the only type of breeches worn by hunt seat riders. Show jumpers, eventers, endurance riders, and pleasure riders also often use the breeches. They are designed to be worn with tall boots, which come up to the knee, or half chaps.
- Fullseat: Having grippy material from the knee, up the inner thigh, and on both sides of the buttock. These breeches are popular in dressage, who prefer the "sticky" seat to help them grip to the saddle as they sit gaits. They are also worn by eventers and other riders. They are designed to be worn with tall boots or half chaps.
Color is important in selecting breeches for competition, which should always be conservative. White is common in dressage, and is also seen in show jumping. Beige is seen in all equestrian disciplines. A greenish colour is currently popular with hunt seat competitors. Eventers wear conservative colours for the dressage and stadium phase, but less classic colours may be seen on the cross-country course (especially at the lower levels) to match the "colours" of the rider.
Breeches may be front or side zip, as some competitors believe the side-zip to give a cleaner appearance and to be more flattering. Styles are also developing to match the trends in clothing, including low-rise breeches.
[edit] See also
- Clothing terminology
- Plus-fours
- Hebrew Priests were commanded in the Law of Moses (Exodus 28:42) to wear breeches (basically underwear) when they ministered in the tabernacle: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.
- The Breeches Bible, a Geneva-edited Bible of 1560, was so called on account of rendition of Genesis iii.7 (already in Wyclif) "They sewed figge leaves together, and made themselves breeches."
- Daniele da Volterra, nicknamed "the breeches maker" ("il braghettone")
[edit] Sources and references
[edit] External links
- Petticoat Breeches and Rhinegraves Louis XIV and the nobleman on the left with petticoat breeches while the men in black and the nobleman on the right are wearing rhinegraves.
- Contemporary leather fetishists' breeches
- Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub Largely gay fraternal organization of contemporary men who wear breeches
