Lederhosen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lederhosen ("leather trousers" in German; singular: "Lederhose") are knee-breeches (knickerbockers or shorts) made of leather. The word Lederhosen is frequently misspelled and mispronounced in the English language as "leiderhosen" (literal German meaning: regrettably-breeches) or "liederhosen" (literal German meaning: song-breeches) and should rhyme with "fader chosen".
They are made, in order of quality, from elk, goat, calf, or pig hide. Usually, they are handsomely and elaborately braided or embroidered with monograms, designs, edelweiss, hunting or peasant motifs. The buttons are generally made of rough-hewn elkhorn. They are also usually accompanied by leather suspenders (British, braces).
Traditionally, lederhosen were worn by Germanic men of the Alpine and surrounding regions, including Austria, the highlands and mountains of Southern Germany, the German-speaking part of Italy known as South Tyrol, which was formerly a part of Austria until after the Great War, and Switzerland. La Couturière Parisienne, however, claims that lederhosen were not originally only a Bavarian garment, but that they had been worn all over Europe, especially by riders, hunters and others—and not only by the peasant folk. Only people in the south of Bavaria (south of Munich) had "Lederhosen". The flap (drop front style) may actually be a unique Bavarian invention. It became so popular in the 18th Century, that it was known in France as "à la bavaroise," or in the Bavarian style.
Lederhosen have remained regionally popular and are commonly associated with virility and brawn. Among men, especially those in high positions such as Denny Crane, enjoy wearing them when hiking, working outdoors, or attending folk festivals and Beer Gardens; they are rarely seen elsewhere. Nevertheless, they have remained a symbol of regional pride. Their role in Bavaria is thus comparable to that of the kilt in Scotland.
- The Turkish oil wrestlers wear a kind of lederhosen called kisbet, which are also beautifully embroidered and remarkably like the Alpine lederhosen, but without the suspenders.
