Guy’s Style Notes: Wearing Breeches
You may think that trousers have always been the default leg wear for English men, but you’d be wrong. They are actually quite a recent invention helped to popularity by Prince Albert. Up until Victorian times breeches and stockings were the go to covering for your pins. As well as looking incredibly elegant they also placed an emphasis on ankles and promoted the calf as the male erogenous muscle.
Where size is concerned there is always a rivalry amongst men and so it comes as no surprise that numerous calf padding devices were not uncommon in the 18th century, enabling slighter men to still put their best foot forward with confidence.
Frock coats were the natural pairing with stocking legs and breeches, but now that trousers and jeans have become so popular so has the coatless male wearing only a t-shirt to reveal the more obvious bulging muscle of the bicep.
Nowadays breeches fall into three categories of cut although it won’t surprise you to learn that we have invented a new shape with designer Alice Burkitt. Seen mostly on country walks or shoots and paired with woollen socks rather than silk stockings.
Breeches, plus twos or plus fours are still very much part of the British gentlemen’s wardrobe. The main difference between these three are the length and width on the thigh. Breeches or Breeks as they are know in Scotland fasten just under the knee with no extra cloth hanging below.
Plus fours are a wider cut and this allows the extra fabric to fall four inches below the knee covering the fastening at the top of the calf, likewise plus twos are slightly less baggy falling only two inches below the knee.
Colourful ties known as sock garters are often used to keep ones socks up and ensure that plus fours stay secure and don’t fall down into short tapered trousers.
I rather enjoy our specially cut cycle breeches based on a circular pattern piece when I’m out for a bike ride. The shape creates a slight ruching on the front of the knee allowing for great comfort, I pair them with long Gallo socks and I feel that the look imparts a sense of adventure, a sort of cross between Tintin and Tim Roth as a deadly fop.
So next time you’re up for an adventure or if you just fancy channelling your inner pirate then do consider a pair of breeches for a change. You never know where flashing a little calf will lead to.
