History of Bifurcated Garments

[Yaish]

I'm not sure they would be 'pants'. Leggings certainly, though usually they were two separate pieces, one attached to each leg. I'd guess that many variations on that existed throughout cultures and history. Surely someone probably made a pair of leggings that were connected via a waist piece.

[Pleater]

I think one at least of the 'bog bodies' was wearing a woven trouserish garment, with joined at the top legs and even foot coverings included.

They are difficult to date, though, as the process of preservation introduces carbon from the bog into the tissues.

[Frank]

I remember seeing a kids programme which told of trousers being invented by one Jacob Trouser during the 19th century. They were apparently championed by the Duke of Wellington who found them ideal for wearing (rather than britches) when on horseback.

Oddly enough, I don't see all that many people riding to the office in the morning on the M25 (London orbital road). But inertia and programming keep most folk in trousers..

[GlassMan]

Archeological evidence shows that the people of the steppes & caucusus were pant-wearers from at least the time of Rome. Apparently it was much easier to control your horse in pants. I would say that there is an absolute connection between barbarism and wearing pants.

[Shay]

(hehe.. had some time to kill... )http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trousers#Men.27s_trousers

Enjoy!

[Blu (Ontario)]

(hehe.. had some time to kill... )Enjoy!

Hmmm... this week I've learned about codpieces as well as merkins. How very exotic! But I think I'll stick with kilts for the time being.


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[Valencian Kilted]

As far as I know, all the peoples of the ancient times that could be called "rider peoples" used to dress in trousers. This obviously englobes celts, all the germanic hordes, and even the asiatic peoples from middle east to China. Being romans and greek armies mainly based in a powerful and disciplinated infantry, they didn't give really much attention to cavalry. In Rome cavalry was just reserved to those who could afford it. That's why since the times of the roman republic they used to contract as mercenaries many cavalry troops from celt, numidian or germanic origins, and always as some kind of "auxiliary forces", not as the main body of their armies.

Even with this, if you can observe sculptures showing legionaries, you will notice that roman soldiers used to wear short pants (surely leather pants) up to thier knees, under the short "skirts" , or the bottom of their "tunicae" that was part of their uniform.

Here u can find some modern views of it:

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In my opinion, the use of those pants was reserved for war duty, and they were avoided in formal occasions. But one thing is clear,... its use was more spreaded as far as romans were more mixed with the "barbaric" peoples after the creation of the empire and the increasing importance of cavalry on their armies.

¡Salud!

T O N O