A PAIR OF TROUSERS

Northern Advocate, 14 September 1932, Page 3

A PAIR OF TROUSERS

THEIR WHY AND WHEREFORE

Mr F. N. A miller, of Auckland, entertained the members of the Rotary Club at their weekly luncheon, -when he spoke on “A Pair of Trousers.” In the course of an address, which was delivered in characteristically humorous vein, Mr Ambler said:

The first trousers worn were an illusion, being simply a pattern tattooed on the legs. They had this advantage over the present-day garment, however: that the wearer never suffered from baggy knees, the trousers being moulded on the figure. But the great drawback’ was that it was very painful to change one’s trousers, and so tattooing gradually wont out of fashion. Another drawback, they were too cold in winter. So, to get over that, the skins of wild animals came into use. These were made into loggings to protect the legs against thorns, but tailoring was somewhat complicated by the fact that the size of the trousers had to' be adapted to the size of the hides available.

In reading the history of English dress, I found that the early Britons wore trousers up to the time of the coming of the Romans. A paragraph reads: “The Romans foisted their own dress upon the Britons, who from a trousered became an untrousered people.” When the Romans conquered Great Britain in 121 8.C., they considered trousers so original that they called their newly acquired province “Gallia. Braccata,” "which is the Latin for trousers. At Rome, the centre of politics, and at Athens, the intellectual centre of the world, trousers were looked upon with contempt as a distinctive feature of barbarism. These garments served to distinguish the barbarians from the Greeks and the Romans.

Though the Britons abandoned trousers, they were still worn in Ireland and Scotland, and were called truis. With the advent of the kilt in Scotland, however, trousers were abandoned as being an unnecessary expense.

Great difficulty seems to have been encountered in making trouseris in the early days; The materials used were as stiff as boards, and it was almost impossible to sit down in them. Attempts were made to meet this difficulty by using elastic materials, as tailors had not succeeded in preventing the strain of the seat. The only thing they have not mastered today is something to prevent the strain on the pocket.

In the 13th century, a great improvement was made. Prior to that, the hose was always separate, but it became the fashion to join them at the top, thus making actual trousers, which covered not only the logs but the lower part of the body as well. This fashion, with modifications, Stayed in till the French Revolution, when trousers were introduced to reach to the ankles and cover the boot tops, and these were called pantaloons. In the days of Charles the Second, we find trousers cut very full, bloomer stylo. They were fastened at the knee with a buckle, and had bits of lace round as an extra adornment. That style has been 'resurrected today by those individuals who call themselves golfers. The lace so far has not made its appearance, but you never know.

In the 19th century trousers suffered many vicissitudes. v There wore many changes in style and appearance. In 1818 we find them half-mast, half-way between the knee and the ankle. Later, tight at the knee and widening downward into bell-bottoms. Later again, tight all the w-ay down, and kept from riding up by means of a leather strap passing under the sole of the boot. The next stage was to narrow them gradually from the hips downwards, and make them tight at the ankles. In 1830, again tight all the way down. Five years later, wider and bell-bottomed again. In 1850, bell-bottoms disappeared, and the present style was adopted, boot straps were given up and trousers flopped loosely round the legs. The next change in fashion was the most ridiculous of the lot: they were made exactly opposite the shape of the log, that is, narrow ■at the top, wide at the knee, f.nd tight below- the knee.

Coming to modern times, wc have the Oxford Bags, invented for a lark by some Oxford undergraduate, and adopted here by the intelligentsia. It is estimated a pair of Oxford Bags will make two dresses for the modern girl, and the turn-up at the bottom

would make a skirt for a- flapper.