Textiles and Dress

Breeches

Breeches or britches ( BRITCH-iz, BREE-chiz) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's clothing, they had fallen out of use by the mid-19th century in favour of trousers. Breeches became popular in the 16th century and continued to evolve in style and construction over the following centuries. By the early 19th century, however, they had largely disappeared from everyday men's fashion, giving way to longer trousers. Although breeches went out of general use, they continued to be worn for specialized purposes such as horseback riding, ceremonial uniforms and within historical and fashion communities. Modern athletic garments used for English riding and fencing, although called breeches or britches, differ from breeches.

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See also

• ▸Capsule wardrobe
• ▸Anne Noble
• ▸Guo Pei

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.