... and about Breeches, Trousers and Stockings
Being as obsessive as I am about costuming, it hurts my soul when POTC characters "unzip" their "pants."
On Breeches:
From Diderot's Encyclopedia, a picture of French fly and of drop front breeches. Those used in the films (see Will's breeches from COTBP) were drop front. Drop front didn't actually come about until the 1760s, so they may or may not fit in, depending on the timeline you use for POTC. I like them though, for ease of access! ( Illustration of drop front here)
From Colonial Williamsburg's site,
From the late 16th century until the early 19th century, most men wore breeches as their lower body garment. Through the centuries breeches were seen in many forms and lengths. In the early 18th century breeches were barely seen beneath long waistcoats and coats. By the mid-18th century they were more noticeable beneath shorter waistcoats and open coats, and so the cut of breeches became tighter and revealed the shape of the leg. Worn by all levels of society, breeches were made in a great variety of silks, cottons, linens, wools, knits, and leathers.
Boys and girls were dressed the same until a boy was "breeched." The age for breeching varied between 4 and 7 years of age, with some sources claiming that waiting too long created an effeminite child.
On Trousers:
Also from CW's site,
During the 18th century breeches were worn by all levels of society; however, trousers were also worn by middling tradesmen, laborers, sailors, and slaves. Trousers were generally cut with a straight leg and were worn to the ankle or slightly shorter. As trousers were utilitarian garments, they were made mostly of durable linens.
Mr. Gibbs, Cotton, and a lot of the other sailors wear trousers in the films.
On Stockings:
From CW's site,
Stockings of the 18th century were worn by men and women, and were most often knit. The knitting frame (machine) was developed in the late 16th century and many improvements during the 18th century increasingly forced hand knitters from their business. Fashionable stockings of silk or cotton were generally white, and at times were decorated with knit or embroidered patterns at the ankle, referred to as "clocks" or "clocking." More utilitarian stockings of linen, and particularly worsted wool, were seen in colors, with blue and gray predominating. Occasionally, coarse stockings for the low laboring sort and slaves were cut of woolen or linen cloth and sewn to fit the shape of the leg.
You can see Will's dark stockings from COTBP here.
Clocked stockings here.
There was no lycra or elastic, so stockings were held up with a garter.
The calf was considered an erotic part of a man's body, and upper-class men were schooled in walking and dancing to best display this. Some men who felt at a disadvantage might resort to stuffing their stockings with false calves. When men would bow to a lady, they would be sure to "put their best foot forward."
On Breeches:
From Diderot's Encyclopedia, a picture of French fly and of drop front breeches. Those used in the films (see Will's breeches from COTBP) were drop front. Drop front didn't actually come about until the 1760s, so they may or may not fit in, depending on the timeline you use for POTC. I like them though, for ease of access! ( Illustration of drop front here)
From Colonial Williamsburg's site,
From the late 16th century until the early 19th century, most men wore breeches as their lower body garment. Through the centuries breeches were seen in many forms and lengths. In the early 18th century breeches were barely seen beneath long waistcoats and coats. By the mid-18th century they were more noticeable beneath shorter waistcoats and open coats, and so the cut of breeches became tighter and revealed the shape of the leg. Worn by all levels of society, breeches were made in a great variety of silks, cottons, linens, wools, knits, and leathers.
Boys and girls were dressed the same until a boy was "breeched." The age for breeching varied between 4 and 7 years of age, with some sources claiming that waiting too long created an effeminite child.
On Trousers:
Also from CW's site,
During the 18th century breeches were worn by all levels of society; however, trousers were also worn by middling tradesmen, laborers, sailors, and slaves. Trousers were generally cut with a straight leg and were worn to the ankle or slightly shorter. As trousers were utilitarian garments, they were made mostly of durable linens.
Mr. Gibbs, Cotton, and a lot of the other sailors wear trousers in the films.
On Stockings:
From CW's site,
Stockings of the 18th century were worn by men and women, and were most often knit. The knitting frame (machine) was developed in the late 16th century and many improvements during the 18th century increasingly forced hand knitters from their business. Fashionable stockings of silk or cotton were generally white, and at times were decorated with knit or embroidered patterns at the ankle, referred to as "clocks" or "clocking." More utilitarian stockings of linen, and particularly worsted wool, were seen in colors, with blue and gray predominating. Occasionally, coarse stockings for the low laboring sort and slaves were cut of woolen or linen cloth and sewn to fit the shape of the leg.
You can see Will's dark stockings from COTBP here.
Clocked stockings here.
There was no lycra or elastic, so stockings were held up with a garter.
The calf was considered an erotic part of a man's body, and upper-class men were schooled in walking and dancing to best display this. Some men who felt at a disadvantage might resort to stuffing their stockings with false calves. When men would bow to a lady, they would be sure to "put their best foot forward."