Quote:
Originally Posted by canadiancitizen
Tomkat:
He is " pulling your leg " a form of Britsh humour, don't yah know ?
The proper name for this type of trousers, at least in the British vernacular was " riding breeches " and they were originally used by the cavalry troops, both Officers and other ranks. British cavalry troops wore a yellow leg stripe on their breeches, to distinguish them from other branches of service, who wore differently striped trousers.
By the WW2 era, no one was wearing them " in the field " and everyone in the British army was in khaki battle dress, regardless of their unit or Corps afilliation. By the way.....Kahki is a Indian word, meaning drab, or dull.
Some current British Army units still wear them as a part of their " Number One Dress " or "full dress order ", with spurs .
Jim Bunting. Toronto.
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Hate to come in on this but it isn't true. They are breeches and were popular for riding around the turn of the century however Cavalry from the Napoleonic era and beyond wore 'overalls' which are very tight fitting trousers which come up to the bottom of ones chest. These were worn with a double stripe down the side during the Victorian era, usually yellow though some regiments (Lancers spring to mind) wore white. They are still worn today with No. 1 Ceremonial Blues and take it from me they are VERY tight but look pretty good, usually worn with short boots and spurs as you say.
As far as I can tell, Khaki breeches were brought in with the introduction of 'Service Dress' at the beginning of the 20th Century. They were designed to be more comfortable and practical than overalls, they have much more room in them, chafe less and worn with either high riding boots or short boots and gaiters/chaps which offer more protection and support to the leg and ankle. I am not entirely convinced that these were ever worn by troopers but I know that by WW1 they were worn by officers throughout the army. These days they are worn by some officers as part of 'riding order' Service Dress, in place of the more normal trousers and low boots/shoes. Looks pretty good as a rule.
But yes, as a style of trousers they come from riding wear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Za Rodinu
 
Word of advice: don't google up "Japanese Uniforms" unless you want to get yourself arrested! |
The pic on the left shows soviet soldiers in their 'sharovari' which are usually called 'half breeches' over here. They were worn throughout the Red Army from before WW1 and were remarkably practical. In summer the air movement in the baggy part keeps your legs cool, in winter (and I have tried this and it works) you can stuff them with paper or straw and they insulate you. Practical kit. Officers in the RKKA often wore 'galifes' instead of sharovari, a style of breeches borrowed from the French, again, smart and practical.
Left in the pic of the lass on the left because I thought it deserved another showing. There is a damn good reason why I a) joined the cavalry and b) hang around with girls who ride (fnar fnar).