i68 PHILOSOPHY OF TROUSERS 



When plate armour had to be given up because 

 it was no longer bullet proof its lining survived 

 in the form of leather breeches. These 

 leathers are usually whitewashed, but they are 

 still worn by the British Household Cavalry, 

 who are " Gentlemen of the King's guard " ; 

 by hunting men ; by the mounted servants 

 who used to be armed retainers and still wear 

 livery as such ; and in the charro dress of 

 Mexico. They belong to the tradition of 

 aristocracy. 



The principle of breeches is a close fit for the 

 inner surface of the knee and thigh, because 

 with heavy material such as leather or cloth 

 any wrinkles against the saddle will tear off 

 one's skin and cause a deal of pain. With bent 

 leg riding, the outer surface of the thighs had 

 to be loosened, and this loosening has developed 

 into monstrous puffed sleeves which expose the 

 Englishman to ridicule on an irreverent stock- 

 range. 



Trousers. During the French Revolution, 

 gentlemen in the town dress of the period, 

 with knee breeches and silk stockings, had 

 their heads chopped off, and all who valued 

 their health took to trousers as an expression 

 of Hberal opinions. Trousers to the heels as 

 distinguished from trousers tucked into boots 



