Trousers, Hose and Brais

Trousers, Hose and Brais

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

Owen Crocker summaries male leggings as either being tight trousers, tights (trousers with integral feet) or suspended stockings (hose) [OWEN-CROCKER 2004:p.255]. It appears that wearing hose, usually worn with a pair of shorts known as 'Brais' originated as a mediterranean fashion. In the Germanic north trousers seem to have been the norm.^{[citation needed]}

Trousers made from wool

File:Trousers.jpg 130x150px

Art -- Literature -- Archaeology -- Discussion --

Tights made from wool

File:Tights.jpg 130x150px

Tights are trousers with integral feet Art -- Literature -- Archaeology Thorsberg trousers, 2 pairs – one had separate sown in feet, Roman [EWING 2007:p.74] Discussion --

Hose & Brais made from wool

File:Hose and Brais.jpg 130x150px

Hose are tight leg coverings usually of wool and cut on the bias. Suspended from the waist by one or more straps. Hose were probably usually made with integral feet sown in. Brais are shorts worn under the hose. Art -- Literature -- Archaeology Hedeby, Germany: Fragment 2 is the upper part of hose made of two parts, both natural brown 2/2 twill, and sewn up the back. A piece of leather thong is still attached to the top edge. Because it is only the top part it is not possible to tell whether it had integral feet or not. [HAGG 1984]:p.20 Discussion --

...made from linen

As always when discussing items made from inen this also includes items made from any plant fibre. Art
--
Literature

• Einhard describes Charlemagne as wearing linen draws and then ‘long’ hose over them. (OWEN-CROCKER 2004, p.173). Note that it doesn’t actually mention what the hose were made of.
• The Monk of St Gall describes the Franks as wearing ‘...they wore linen garments on their legs and thighs of the same colour (scarlet), but with elaborate embroidery.’ [OWEN-CROCKER 2004:p.174] See page 191 for full text.

Archaeology

• The bard C8th [OWEN-CROCKER 2004]
• St. Severinus Cathedral, C8th white linen leggings [EWING 2007: p.78]

Discussion
--

References

<nocite> EWING2007 Hagg1984 OWEN-CROCKER2004 </nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>