Breeches

[Mick MacAnselan]

I recently made a pair of breeches. No pattern, and it shows! :)

Have only worn them once, tucked into (gasp) bucket boots (not a reenactment occasion - fantasy all the way), so all I did to the bottom of the legs was a running stich to keep the linen from unraveling. Now I want to do the legs bottoms right. What would be the period correct way to terminate the legs (hem, button, tie, etc?), for breeches that should (as I understand it) be tucked into the tops of stockings? TIA!

[kass]

A couple of quick things you can do, Mick. You can gather them into a band that buttons. You can bind the bottom with cloth tape that ties. You can also just roll hem the bottoms and sew a cloth tape to either end and tie them closed (this depends on how wide the legs are...)

[Mick MacAnselan]

Thanks Kass! (Wow, that was fast.) I like the button idea. I'll have to see if I have any appropriate size buttons around. Do you know how far below the knee the bottom of the legs should be? (Now that I know how I'm going to finish them, that little question suddenly leaped to mind.) TIA!

[kass]

I don't think there's a "standard", but they should be long enough that when you bend your knee, your knees don't show from under the closed bottom.

[Mick MacAnselan]

I don't think there's a "standard", but they should be long enough that when you bend your knee, your knees don't show from under the closed bottom.

Thanks Kass. I'm guessing each leg should be slashed on the 'outside' part of the leg, so there is something to 'close' with the button band? TIA.

[kass]

Precisely!