Well, that's Trew I guess

[Adoom]

I know this is the General Kilt Talk, so I hope you will allow a touch of two legged talk...
I have been considering getting a pair of Trews, but I'm not sure what I am getting into. I "like" the idea of wearing a pair of Trews with a plain black T or the like, sort of a sub for jeans, but I know that whenever I look for Trews they seem to be dressed with a matching waistcoat or jacket. Thoughts?

[Tobus]

I'm sure those who are more knowledgeable on trews will chime in, but as I understand it, there is a difference between tartan trousers which are built more like regular modern trousers, and real trews which are high-waisted with fishtail back and meant to be worn with braces/waistcoat/jacket. The former is probably what you're looking for, as the latter is more for formal wear.

[Steve Ashton]

It is quite common for any trousers made from Tartan to be called Trews, but full military Trews are a totally different sort of garment from trousers.

Trews will have no seam on the outside of the leg.
They will have a full waist height with fishtails and laces in the back. Think toreador trousers.
They do not have pockets.
They will almost always be worn with braces that are fastened with buttons and are not worn with a belt unless worn without a vest or cummerbund.
They do not have turned up cuffs and may or may not have "The West Point Cut" where the leg bottoms are lower in the back than the front.




Otherwise you have tartan trousers.

[Dr Bee]

It is quite common for any trousers made from Tartan to be called Trews, but full military Trews are a totally different sort of garment from trousers.

Trews will have no seam on the outside of the leg and may or may not have "The West Point Cut" where the leg bottoms are lower in the back than the front.

If you do not select properly styled and tailored trews which will have no seams on the outside of the leg, "West Point Cut" (Cavalry cut in the UK), high waist, fishtail back, buttons for braces etc., you may end up looking like or be thought to be looking like you're wearing the tat trousers once so favoured by golfers.

Proper trews, as described, can be worn with a cummerbund under say a black Argyll jacket or with a Prince Charlie or a Regulation Doublet, either of which will normally come with the appropriate waistcoat. If you wish to wear your own tailored waistcoat in the same cloth and tartan as the trews it really does look better if the waistcoat has the sett biased to the diagonal, otherwise it begins to look like you're wearing some kind of all-over romper suit - then again that's a look which some might prefer.

[Jock Scot]

If you do not select properly styled and tailored trews which will have no seams on the outside of the leg, "West Point Cut" (Cavalry cut in the UK), high waist, fishtail back, buttons for braces etc., you may end up looking like or be thought to be looking like you're wearing the tat trousers once so favoured by golfers.

Proper trews, as described, can be worn with a cummerbund under say a black Argyll jacket or with a Prince Charlie or a Regulation Doublet, either of which will normally come with the appropriate waistcoat. If you wish to wear your own tailored waistcoat in the same cloth and tartan as the trews it really does look better if the waistcoat has the sett biased to the diagonal, otherwise it begins to look like you're wearing some kind of all-over romper suit - then again that's a look which some might prefer.

Exactly so!

[The Wizard of BC]

Yes, I know that the market seems to be going in the direction of Trews with outside seams and pockets but in my experience, with 22 made to measure orders of what are advertised as trews, the product I received did not fit as well, looked less tailored, and were less satisfying to my Regimental customers.

If you truly want Trews, please do your research and find a maker who is willing, and capable of making true Trews and is not bending to the market. Yes, a pair of Trews will cost almost as much as a kilt but remember that you are not buying just any pair of Tartan trousers. Unless of course your goal is to wear Tartan golf trousers.

This is how one leg of Trews are cut. It takes skill, experience, and a good, accurate, set of measurement to construct Trews this way.



You owe it to yourself to be as picky about your Trews as you are about your kilt.

[figheadair]

Trews will have no seam on the outside of the leg.

I've yet to find when and where this tradition arose, probably the military in the mid-late 19th century is my guess.

18th century trews were cut on the bias and were made from sections of cloth meaning that there were diagonal seams in various places. This is the earliest pair of military trews I know of, c1930 if memory serves, they have a seam on the inside and outside of the leg.

[Dr Bee]

I've yet to find when and where this tradition arose.

The chances are that there may be no documentary evidence of how the tradition arose, but it's possible to make an educated guess. My guess would be that trews with no outer seem simply became the fashion for Army Officers.

The history of the introduction of tartan trousers, renamed as 'trews,' for the Scottish Lowland Regiments following the Cardwell reforms of 1881 is well documented and needs no rehearsal here. It is also well known that many Highland Battalions had worn tartan trousers as undress uniform for specific duties for decades prior to this. However, the enshrinement of tartan trews in the vestiarium of dress uniforms from 1881 probably led those who could afford it - officers - to purchase the best that could be had, perhaps initially for Mess Dress and also possibly for their Dress Uniforms. Seemless trews with the cavalry cut do look better and are certainly more expensive - they have the air of 'Officer' written all over them and they probably were made by the best tailors for officers who were required to purchase their own uniforms - a situation which persists to some degree to this day. Once such trews became accepted and approved of, they would come to be considered traditional for officers to wear, then essential and eventually mandatory.

My own experience as a Naval Officer has allowed me to glimpse one or two traditions in the wearing of uniform which will forever remain undocumented, e.g., the distinctive (to those who know) Gieves cap and badge was ordered to be worn for certain duties with the implication that failure to comply would earn eternal disgrace, ridicule or perhaps worse - but there were no written regulations to back up up such orders - it was simply a tradition - it had become 'the done thing.' Besides, who was going to argue against wearing the most comfortable officer's cap money could buy when the alternative was to wear the crown of thorns issued by Pusser. I know this is not an exact parallel, but I think it begins to illustrate how some uniform traditions which begin with officers buying the best they can get eventually become the accepted norm.

[Bruce Scott]

Page 64 of The Cutter's Practical Guide by WDF Vincent has the following entry headed "The System for Scotch Trews"

The system for cutting Scotch trews is practically the same as we have already described for the Infantry Trousers; but there is this difference to be noted - they are cut without a side seam. Consequently the width of the knee is adjusted entirely at the leg seam, with the result that a rather hollow leg seam results; this, however, is helped as far as possible by manipulation, the side seam being shrunk at the knee and the lower part of the leg manipulated in such a manner as to get a hollow on the side seam (or rather where the side seam should be). rather than the leg seam.

While the publication is undated the Military Trousers section refers to alterations that came into force on the 21st January 1902. The book is available online in pdf format here: http://siamcostumes.com/cutters_guid...y_uniforms.pdf 61

Rank and file uniforms are not discussed.