At least in Britain, "leggings" has been used in recent years to describe the
close-fitting one-piece nether garment fashionable for casual wear. When I was
a little girl in the 1950s, when it was still uncommon for females to wear
trousers, I wore "leggings" with my winter coats, but they were separate items,
like long gaiters.
"Trousers" in the late 18th-early 19th century were a loose-fitting full-length
garment, originally worn by working men (the "sans-culottes" of the French
Revolution were called "without breeches" because they wore trousers instead).
Fashionable men gradually abandoned knee-breeches for pantaloons (full-length
but fitted) and then trousers. Nowadays I often hear people who don't know
about historic costume refer to breeches as trousers - it's become a generic
term for the nether garment.
Kate Bunting
Librarian and 17th century reenactor
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 14/09/2005 04:03 >>>
". Like many things
on this list, some specification is needed. Do you mean how are the words
used today, in which I would agree with Joan, though I try to use period
terms when I can, and if not, when is the period in question?
Ron Carnegie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Jurancich" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Historical Costume" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: [h-cost] trousers vs. hose
> At 03:37 PM 9/13/2005, you wrote:
>>I would like your expert opinions on what the "official" difference is
>>between trousers and leggings or hose. Is it just that trousers aren't as
>>fitted in the legs? Or are trousers one piece while leggings are two?
>>
>>Tea Rose
>
> Leggings (or hose) are just that, individually fastened coverings for the
> legs. Trousers are one garment that covers both legs and the fork and up,
> historically, to the waist. How fitted the leg coverings are is a matter
> of fashion.
>
>
> Joan Jurancich
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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> h-costume mailing list
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