Leather knee breeches

[simonbeans]

I hope this works. I suppose it really depends on the anatomy of the wearer. I have a small tush and still need the conventional "baggy" seat. I know the "look" is not desirable for many, but all original patterns I have seen have the same gathered back panels. Good fortune on your task.

 

[andy52]

This is just an experiment and I'm letting him have the breeches at cost just to try them out. The member is 6'3" 180lbs and has a 34 inch waist,
I had to get an inseam measurement from him so the breeches come just below his knee. Your right about the look, a lot of people don't care much for the diaper look....

 

[Brokennock]

I for one would rather have something that looks a little odd (to our modern sensibilities) and functions well, than deal with the annoyance of clothing that doesn't function properly. Having to constantly adjust something, or having clothing or gear rub or pull in a weird way while trying to walk, sit, kneel, step over logs, or whatever movement is required, is a much larger bother than looking a little funny. Most of us aren't putting this clothing on and standing still in a pose like a model.
Let's face it, to most folks, we look funny dressing in this stuff anyway.

Part of the reason I have come to realize I like my knee breaches better for hunting than pants, in some ways, is not having them pull against my knee when I step over something or climb a hill, not having the material at the bottom flapping, catching brush, or rubbing against the material on the other leg making noise.

 

[andy52]

I never found buckskin pants to be all that bothersome and I've hunted in them many times. The only downside to them is they're
hot in the summer and cold in the winter unless you wear wool underwear then they're just fine even when it's cold.
You're right about one thing most folks do think we look funny dressed as we do... .

 

[Brokennock]

I never found buckskin pants to be all that bothersome and I've hunted in them many times. The only downside to them is they're
hot in the summer and cold in the winter unless you wear wool underwear then they're just fine even when it's cold.
You're right about one thing most folks do think we look funny dressed as we do... .

Well, can't say I've tried buckskin pants. Maybe they act differently than cotton or linen.

 

[andy52]

The most uncomfortable part of my hunting and trekking gear is a pack basket, they are hard to get on and off with a lot of clothing on, plus depending on how much gear I'm carrying they can get heavy. On an extended trek, the pack can get up to 70-80 lbs.

 

[tenngun]

Just a note on closing. Until about 1740 any closure was ‘unsightly,’ often there was an open fly. This is why waistcoats were so long to ensure modesty. The French invented the French fly and waistcoat became shorter.
However it was seen as decadence to wear French styles. English developed the fall front.
Now as seen in the photos there was old breaches worn with French flys in ‘English’ colonies, so it’s not unheard of. However for proper clothing for a American a drop front would be a feature of American styles up to the late unpleasantness between the states.
Unless your doing French a fall front is probably the most common.
Folks then loved buttons. When making a coat it seems I spend more times with buttons then anything else
I spect sailors thirteen buttons was more of fashion, and unless one was on Liberty I bet most were left unbuttoned

 

[andy52]

For me, the french fly will be HC considering most of the time when I would be wearing knee breeches it would be at Fort de Chartres. The person that is the test case requested the french fly and drop the baggy butt.
As a US Navy vet, the 13 buttons on the fly represent the first colonies. Most sailors had a zipper or velcro placed behind the fly and the buttons were just decorative.
As a side note, we here in Missouri have a pretty eclectic background having been ruled by the Spanish, French, and English.

 

[andy52]

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Well, can't say I've tried buckskin pants. Maybe they act differently than cotton or linen.

That's the advantage of garment-grade leather it stretches where it needs to and not where it doesn't. There are no fibers running the length and width of the leather to pull where it shouldn't.

 

[LRB]

Just a note on closing. Until about 1740 any closure was ‘unsightly,’ often there was an open fly. This is why waistcoats were so long to ensure modesty. The French invented the French fly and waistcoat became shorter.
However it was seen as decadence to wear French styles. English developed the fall front.
Now as seen in the photos there was old breaches worn with French flys in ‘English’ colonies, so it’s not unheard of. However for proper clothing for a American a drop front would be a feature of American styles up to the late unpleasantness between the states.
Unless your doing French a fall front is probably the most common.
Folks then loved buttons. When making a coat it seems I spend more times with buttons then anything else
I spect sailors thirteen buttons was more of fashion, and unless one was on Liberty I bet most were left unbuttoned

In the 18th c., it was expected that no gentleman was to be seen in public not wearing a weskit and coat. Regardless the weather. The coat, properly buttoned, covered the upper section of the breeches.

 

[tenngun]

An example of why long waist coats were in style, I’m thinking this was about 1680

 

[Brokennock]

Wow, check out the "widow's peak" on the woman in the background. Lol

 

[andy52]

I'm well into making the breeches, it was a sort of trial-and-error project. I finally decided too just reverse engineer a pair of old cloth knee breeches as a basis for my own pattern. When I first started thinking about these, I figured to machine sew them but decide to just hand sew them like all the other pants I make. I went with all buttons on the lower leg closers and no buckles, I could change that at any time.
The only downside to these is the need to buy store bought button, on my buckskin pants I just make my own.
Here a photo of the lower closers, I'll post up some more of the fly and finished product soon.

 

[simonbeans]

Did you put some sort of lining in the opening of the bottom of the leg? I have found that leather stretches and after a while it has stretched enough to be quite "baggy" or loose. Most illustrations of the period show the bottom of knee breeches to be quite tight about the leg.
Very nice stitches.

 

[andy52]

Did you put some sort of lining in the opening of the bottom of the leg? I have found that leather stretches and after a while it has stretched enough to be quite "baggy" or loose. Most illustrations of the period show the bottom of knee breeches to be quite tight about the leg.
Very nice stitches.

Both the closers and the hem are folded, glued, and stitched so any stretch should be minimal. I do the same thing on the waistband and fly.
My original plans were to incorporate a garter into the lower legs
Which I've seen on these in photos, but technically speaking garters were meant to hold stockings up not pants down.
This pair of knee-breeches is my first attempt and I may change the pattern on them in the future.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Very nice!

 

[andy52]

Very nice!

Thanks, I've done a french fly on these rather than a fall front.
I'll be finished up here in an hour or so and will show the finished product.

 

[andy52]

Ok Gents, here they are. Not too bad for a first attempt. Considering these are a bit more refined I used a braided round cord on the gusset rather than the leather tong I put on my buckskin pants. There are a couple of things I may improve on with the next pair but not many. I'm pretty certain I can make these for about 75.00 less than a pair of buckskins if I can find some less expensive buttons, those solid silver buttons are a bit pricey.

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[OldSmoky1967]

Ok Gents, here they are. Not too bad for a first attempt. Considering these are a bit more refined I used a braided round cord on the gusset rather than the leather tong I put on my buckskin pants. There are a couple of things I may improve on with the next pair but not many. I'm pretty certain I can make these for about 75.00 less than a pair of buckskins if I can find some less expensive buttons, those solid silver buttons are a bit pricey. View attachment 111764View attachment 111765l

I like them!

 

[andy52]

I'm not going to take any orders yet for the knee-breeches but if you're interested just PM me and will set something up for the future. I'm probably at least 2 months behind on orders right now and need to get caught up.