Leggings

Leggings are any of several sorts of fitted clothing to cover the legs. Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg. more...

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In contemporary usage, leggings refers to tight, form-fitting trousers that extend from the waist to the ankles; in the United States, they are sometimes referred to as tights (although the word tights is often used to refer to opaque pantyhose). Modern leggings are typically made from a blend of lycra, and either nylon, cotton, or a cotton-polyester blend. However, leggings can also be made from wool, silk, and various synthetic fabrics as well.

History

Leggings in various forms and under various names have been worn for warmth and protection by both men and women throughout the centuries. The separate hose worn by men in Europe from the 14th to 16th centuries (the Renaissance period) were a form of leggings, as are the trews of the Scottish Highlands. Separate leggings of buckskin leather were worn by some Native Americans; these buckskins were adopted by some Colonial Americans and later by mountain men. They are the leatherstockings of James Fennimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales.

In many places, especially in colder countries such as Russia, men continued to wear leggings into modern times, often as an additional underlayer for warmth.

The linen pantalettes worn by girls and women under crinolines in the mid-19th century were also a form of leggings, and were originally two separate garments.

It was not until the fitness and aerobics craze in the very early 1980s that leggings became fashionable street wear for women.

Military leggings

In former times, soldiers, especially infantry, often wore leggings (also known as gaiters) to keep dirt and grime from entering their shoes, and to provide ankle support. Though they bore the same name, military leggings were different from the civilian version, which are style of tights. Military leggings, by contrast, were more akin to buskins. These leggings usually consisted of a piece of canvas with criss-crossed laces running along one side, and an adjustable stirrup that passed under the sole of the shoe, just in front of the heel. Sometimes metal clips were substituted for laces. The soldier placed the leggings around his calf with the laced side facing out and adjusted them and the strap to achieve a proper fit. Leggings typically extended to mid-calf, although sometimes they extended to just below the knee.

Sometimes puttees — strips of thick woolen cloth resembling a large bandage — were wrapped around the leg to serve the same function as leggings. They were usually held in place by a strap attached to the cloth.

Read more at Wikipedia.org