Pluderhosen

Pluderhosen or Upper hose (also Upper hosen) – short, baggy trousers for men made of fabric, usually velvet, with vertical slits showing the lining, hence they were also called “filled trousers”, chausse à la gigotte, chausse bouffante, etc. These short pants were worn on top of Chausses or stockings. They are of three main types. The first type – up to the knee or slightly below, this type of trousers became the progenitor of breeches or culottes. The second type is a spherical, voluminous leg up to mid-thigh or higher. The legs consist of strips or slits, and the inside is stuffed with fabric, which is often visible between the ribbons. The third type combines the previous two.

The first such trousers appeared at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Their origin is difficult to trace. In some countries they are called “Greek pants” (es. gregüescos), in others “Spanish”. But they gained particular popularity in Germany, in the first half of the 16th century. Landsknechts are a prime example.

Since the 1540s, Pluderhosen have become popular all over Europe, displacing all other types of trousers for 80 years to come.

By the end of the 1620s, Pluderhosen lost their splendor of form and developed in the form of breeches (culotte).