Breeches
Clothing Definitions — definitions of garments and clothing terms from Apparel Search
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg. The terms breeches or knee-breeches specifically designate the knee-length form that was the standard lower garment for men from the late 16th century until the early 19th, fastened below the knee with buttons, buckles or ties and worn with stockings. This page explains the forms breeches took — from full early styles to the close-fitting later ones — and the riding and sports breeches that keep the style in use today.
The terms breeches or knee-breeches specifically designate the knee-length garments worn by men from the later 16th century to the early 19th century (and into the early 20th century as part of servants' livery).
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.
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.
Origins
Like other words for similar garments (pants, knickers, shorts), the word breeches has been applied to both outer garments and underwear. The original Old English term brec or breoc (singular) indicated a cloth worn as underwear by both men and women; by the Middle Ages breeches meant "drawers" or "underpants".
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the term breech-cloth or breech-clout was used to describe the apron-like loincloths worn by some Native American peoples.
In the latter 16th century, breeches began to replace hose as the general English term for men's lower garments, a usage that remained standard until knee-length breeches were replaced for everyday wear by long pantaloons or trousers.
Types of breeches
- Petticoat breeches, very full breeches of the mid-17th century, giving the impression of a woman's petticoat.
- Fall front breeches, breeches with a panel or flap covering the front opening and fastened up with buttons at either corner.
Photos
From Everyday Dress to the Saddle
The shift from breeches to long trousers around the turn of the 19th century was one of the great changes in men's dress: trousers, once working wear, became the respectable standard and breeches retreated to the court, the hunt and formal livery. Riding kept the garment alive on practical grounds. A rider's leg works from the knee down in a tall boot, so cloth below the knee is unnecessary, and a close breeches leg with a reinforced inner knee gives grip and durability exactly where the saddle demands it.
Modern riding breeches are made in stretch fabrics with the knee fastening replaced by hook-and-loop or button closures, but the silhouette — fitted thigh, knee-length leg, tall boot below — is recognizably the one worn three centuries ago. Reading the word in older texts, breeches simply meant the standard garment for the lower body, the role trousers fill today.
Common Questions
What are breeches?
Breeches are trousers with separate coverings for each leg, ending at or just below the knee, where they fasten with buttons, a buckle or ties. Knee-breeches were standard menswear for roughly three centuries before long trousers replaced them in everyday dress.
How were historical breeches worn?
Historical breeches were worn with stockings covering the lower leg, and often with a waistcoat and coat above. Early styles could be full and gathered at the knee; by the 18th century the fashionable cut was close-fitting, with a fall front and a snug knee band.
Where are breeches still worn today?
Breeches are still worn for horseback riding, where the knee-length, close fit works with tall boots and avoids fabric bunching against the saddle. Related forms survive in traditional dress, in some military and ceremonial uniforms, and as plus-fours in golf and shooting.