Jodhpurs

Last updated

A horse show competitor wearing contemporary stretch-fabric jodhpurs Horse riding in coca cola arena - melbourne show 2005.jpg
A horse show competitor wearing contemporary stretch-fabric jodhpurs

Jodhpurs, in their modern form, are tight-fitting trousers to the ankle, where they end in a snug cuff, and are worn primarily for horse riding. The term is also used as slang for a type of short riding boot, also called a paddock boot or a jodhpur boot , because they are worn with jodhpurs.

Contents

Originally, jodhpurs were snug-fitting from just below the knee to the ankle, and were flared at the hip to allow ease for sitting in the saddle. Modern jodhpurs are made with stretch fabric and are tight-fitting throughout. They are supportive and flexible. [1]

History

Marwari horse in Rajasthan. Note the traditional long riding trousers, tight around the calf, reaching to Mojari slippers. MarwariHorseRajasthan.jpg
Marwari horse in Rajasthan. Note the traditional long riding trousers, tight around the calf, reaching to Mojari slippers.

Jodhpurs is named after Jodhpur (as the Jodhpur State, also known as the Kingdom of Marwar), the second-largest city in the modern Indian state of Rajasthan. They were adapted from traditional clothing of the Indian subcontinent [2] as long trousers, reaching to the ankle, snug from the calf to the ankle, with reinforced fabric protecting the inner calf and knee from rubbing. The thighs and hips were flared, a traditional Indian style that allowed free movement of the hip and thigh while riding.

The jodhpurs were adapted from an ancient style of Indian trouser called the churidar , which is tight around the calf and loose at the hips. It is still worn at traditional Jodhpuri weddings. [3] This is a special traditional style of clothing in Northern India, especially in what is today the modern state of Rajasthan.

Pratap Singh, a younger son of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Takht Singh, popularised in England the style of riding trousers worn in Jodhpur, a design that he apparently improved and perfected and first had tailored in India around 1890. [4] [5]

Singh was an avid polo player. When he visited Queen Victoria in England during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 1897, he brought his entire polo team, who caused a sensation among the fashionable circles of the United Kingdom by their riding clothes. In addition, they won many polo matches. [6] Singh's jodhpur style of flared thigh and hip was rapidly taken up by the British polo-playing community, who adapted it to the existing designs of English riding breeches, which ended snugly at mid-calf, and were worn with tall riding boots.[ citation needed ]

The full-legged design of the true Jodhpur was not adopted as British polo apparel. Early photographs of European polo teams show the continued use of tall boots and breeches. Though the term "jodhpurs" was applied colloquially to this style of breeches, they were not true jodhpurs and are more accurately termed "flared-hip breeches". This British version was soon being produced by Savile Row tailors in London. The use of the Indian-style, ankle-length Jodhpurs allowed riders to use short, less expensive boots, as their calves were protected by the reinforced design and snug fit.

Use

Riding

Classic riding jodhpurs, showing the extra width in the thigh area, which allows for lateral leg movement when in the saddle. Jodhpurs (PSF).png
Classic riding jodhpurs, showing the extra width in the thigh area, which allows for lateral leg movement when in the saddle.

Special adaptations for riding include a pattern cut with the leg seams on the outside of the leg; a patch on the inside of the knee, sometimes of a hard-wearing material such as leather; and in some cases a similar leather or leather-like panel on the seat that helps the rider stay still in the saddle. Classic jodhpurs are beige or white, but for working purposes are now made in a variety of colours. [1] They are particularly well-suited for children, as the shorter paddock boots cost less than tall boots to replace as a child's feet grow.

Jodhpur boots, also called paddock boots, are worn with jodhpurs, but also may be worn with breeches if half-chaps are added which provide the functionality and look of a tall riding boot HalfChaps1.jpg
Jodhpur boots, also called paddock boots, are worn with jodhpurs, but also may be worn with breeches if half-chaps are added which provide the functionality and look of a tall riding boot

The word "jodhpurs" is often used interchangeably with riding breeches, though this is technically incorrect. Breeches are riding pants that come down to about mid-calf, and are designed to be worn with long stockings and tall boots. Jodhpurs are ankle length and are worn with short, ankle-high Jodhpur boots, also known as paddock boots. Sometimes knee-length half-chaps or leggings may be added. [1]

Occupational uniform

Jodhpurs are sometimes worn as fashion or occupational clothing. In popular culture, jodhpur-style breeches worn with tall boots became particularly associated with military officers, who wore uniforms based on riding apparel, often derived from the aristocratic cavalry tradition from which many nations historically drew their corps of top commanders, viz. the quartering of the commander-in-chief of the forces and secretary at war in the Horse Guards building and the derivation of the rank and title marshal from what was originally a title for the commander of cavalry. [7]

Flared-hip breeches and tall boots formed part of the military uniform of army officers in Imperial Germany, [8] the Second Polish Republic, [9] Nazi Germany, and many Eastern Bloc countries, including the former USSR and East Germany.[ citation needed ].

Jodhpurs, or flared-hip breeches, also were adopted as the uniform for some forces of motorcycle police.[ citation needed ]

The style came to be associated with authority figures in general and was copied by certain Hollywood movie directors in the United States.

Cecil B. DeMille, 1937, wearing the flared-hip riding breeches that are often termed jodhpurs. Cecil B DeMille 1937.JPG
Cecil B. DeMille, 1937, wearing the flared-hip riding breeches that are often termed jodhpurs.

Early 20th-century African big game hunters are also associated with the look, due in part to early traditions of riding on horseback in search of quarry. In addition, tall boots protected against snakes and rough or thornbushes if the hunters were walking in rough country.

Fashion

Women began wearing jodhpurs during the 1920s, as they shifted away from riding horses sidesaddle and rode them astride. One of the first high-profile women to adopt the wearing of jodhpurs was Coco Chanel. She was inspired to copy the breeches as worn by a friend's groom. [10]

As part of the 20th-century trend of crossover fashions moving from sportswear to streetwear, various designers since the later 20th century have incorporated equestrian styles into their clothing, including jodhpurs. Ralph Lauren is the most well-known of such designers, and adapted equestrian styles and motifs as the basis of his Ralph Lauren Polo line. (Polo/Ralph Lauren presented "Man and the Horse", an exhibit of riding clothing and accoutrements from three centuries at the Metropolitan Museum of New York Costume Institute in 1984, curated by Diana Vreeland.) [11]

Kentucky jodhpurs

A rider wearing Kentucky jodhpurs. Lindsey on horse.jpg
A rider wearing Kentucky jodhpurs.

Kentucky jodhpurs are full-length riding pants designed exclusively for saddle seat riding. Like hunt seat jodhpurs, they are close-fitting from waist to ankle. They are noticeably longer, ending with a flared bell bottom that fits over a jodhpur boot, usually extending below the heel of the boot in back, and covering the arch of the foot (but not the toe) in front. The overall look gives the impression of a rider with a long leg and heel lower than the toe, a desired equitation standard for this riding style. Like the hunt seat jodhpur, they have elastic straps that run under the boot to help hold the pant leg in place. [1] Saddle seat riders, whose riding clothing styles were derived from men's business suits, wear Kentucky Jodhpurs in dark colors, usually black, navy blue, or a shade that matches the riding coat. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tights</span> Heavy, opaque stockings woven in one with panties

Tights are a kind of cloth garment, most often sheathing the body from the waist to the toe tips with a tight fit, hence the name. They come in absolute opaque, opaque, sheer and fishnet styles — or a combination, such as the original concept of the American term pantyhose with sheer legs and opaque panty. A variant, toe tights, are tights with individual toes, in the same way toe socks are socks with individual toes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riding boot</span> Boot made to be used for horse riding

A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground and has a distinct heel to prevent the foot from sliding through the stirrup. The sole is smooth or lightly textured to avoid being caught on the tread of the stirrup in the event of a fall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaps</span> Leather leg coverings

Chaps are sturdy coverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt. They are buckled on over pants with the chaps' integrated belt, but unlike trousers, they have no seat and are not joined at the crotch. They are designed to provide protection for the legs and are usually made of leather or a leather-like material. Their name is a shortened version of the Spanish word chaparajos. Chaparajos were named after the chaparral, from which they were designed to protect the legs while riding on horseback. Like much of western American horse culture, the origin of chaparajos was in the south of Spain, from which it then passed on to the part of New Spain that later became Mexico, and has been assimilated into cowboy culture of the American West. They are a protective garment to be used when riding a horse through brushy terrain. In the modern world, they are worn for both practical work purposes and for exhibition or show use. Chaps have also been adopted for use on motorcycles, particularly by cruiser-style motorcycle riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidesaddle</span> Form of equestrianism

Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows riders, generally female, to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest fashion while also wearing fine clothing. It has retained a specialty niche even in the modern world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycle boot</span>

Motorcycle boots are associated with motorcycle riders and range from above ankle to below knee boots. They have an outside of a typical boot but a low heel to control the motorcycle. To improve motorcycle safety, motorcycle boots are generally made from a thick, heavy leather and may include energy absorbing and load spreading padding, metal, plastic and/or composite materials to protect the motorcycle rider's feet, ankles and legs in an accident. For use in wet weather, some boots have a waterproof membrane lining such as Gore-Tex or SympaTex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breeches</span> Clothing with coverings for each leg

Breeches are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's clothing, they had fallen out of use by the mid-19th century in favour of trousers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culottes</span> Womans split skirt; earlier, breeches or knickers

Culottes are an item of clothing worn on the lower half of the body. The term can refer to either split skirts, historical men's breeches, or women's underpants; this is an example of fashion-industry words taken from designs across history, languages and cultures, then being used to describe different garments, often creating confusion among historians and readers. The French word culotte is panties, pants, knickers, trousers, shorts, or (historically) breeches; derived from the French word culot, meaning the lower half of a thing, the lower garment in this case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaiters</span> Garment worn over the shoe and lower pants leg

Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg and used primarily as personal protective equipment, in particular against snakebite. They are also commonly used to keep the bottom of the pant-leg dry when hiking in snow. Similar garments used primarily for display are spats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1840s in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion of the 1840s

1840s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a narrow, natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s and 1830s. The narrower shoulder was accompanied by a lower waistline for both men and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1820s in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion of the 1820s

During the 1820s in European and European-influenced countries, fashionable women's clothing styles transitioned away from the classically influenced "Empire"/"Regency" styles of c. 1795–1820 and re-adopted elements that had been characteristic of most of the 18th century, such as full skirts and clearly visible corseting of the natural waist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea boot</span> Close-fitting ankle boot with elastic panels

Chelsea boots are close-fitting, ankle-length boots with elastic side panels, a low heel and a snug fit around the ankle. They often have a loop or tab of fabric on the back of the boot, enabling the boot to be pulled on. The boot dates back to the Victorian era, when it was worn by both men and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slim-fit pants</span> Trousers tailored to fit very close to the body

Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style include drainpipes, stovepipes, tight pants, cigarette pants, pencil pants, skinny pants, gas pipes, skinnies, and tight jeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1900s in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion in the decade 1900–1909

Fashion in the period 1900–1909 in the Western world continued the severe, long and elegant lines of the late 1890s. Tall, stiff collars characterize the period, as do women's broad hats and full "Gibson Girl" hairstyles. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the couturiers of Paris late in the decade signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indispensable garment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trousers</span> Clothing for the legs and lower body

Trousers, slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately. In some parts of the United Kingdom, the word pants is ambiguous: it can mean underpants rather than trousers. Shorts are similar to trousers, but with legs that come down only to around the area of the knee, higher or lower depending on the style of the garment. To distinguish them from shorts, trousers may be called "long trousers" in certain contexts such as school uniform, where tailored shorts may be called "short trousers" in the UK.

A man's suit of clothes, in the sense of a lounge, office, business, dinner or dress suit, is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth. This article discusses the history of the lounge suit, often called a business suit when featuring dark colors and a conservative cut.

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodhpur boot</span> Type of riding boot

The Jodhpur boot is an ankle boot or Chelsea boot designed as a riding boot with a rounded toe and a low heel. They originally fastened with a strap and buckle, but today the term also includes designs with straps that do not wrap entirely around the ankle and the elastic-sided design without a strap also known as Chelsea boots. A closely related riding boot design is called a paddock boot, particularly if modified to have a lace-up front. It is named after Jodhpur, the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion boot</span> Boot worn for style rather for utilitarian purposes

A fashion boot is a boot worn for reasons of style or fashion. The term is usually applied to women's boots. Fashion boots come in a wide variety of styles, from ankle to thigh-length, and are used for casual, formal, and business attire. Although boots were a popular style of women's footwear in the 19th century, they were not recognized as a high fashion item until the 1960s. They became widely popular in the 1970s and have remained a staple of women's winter wardrobes since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowboy boot</span> High-heeled leather riding boot

Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally made from cowhide leather, which may be decoratively hand-tooled, but are also sometimes made from "exotic" skins like alligator, snake, ostrich, lizard, eel, elephant, stingray, elk, buffalo, and so on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stirrup pants</span> Close-fitting tapered pants with bands for the feet

Stirrup pants or stirrup leggings are a type of close-fitting pants that taper at the ankle, similar to leggings, except that the material extends to a band, or strap, that is worn under the arch of the foot to hold the pant leg in place. The band of material is often elasticized to prevent the material around the foot from tearing. Stirrup pants were originally sportswear for women, and remain sportswear for horse riding and skiing. However, they have come in and out of fashion during the 20th and early 21st centuries, peaking in popularity as street fashion during the 1980s to the mid-1990s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Price, Steven D. (ed.) The Whole Horse Catalog: Revised and Updated New York:Fireside 1998 ISBN   0-684-83995-4 p. 215
  2. Horse Riding Jodhpurs Archived 27 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine , Online for Equine
  3. "Fashion Trends". Archived from the original on 14 March 2022.
  4. "Designer Couture for Men by Best Indian Fashion Designer". Raghavendra Rathore.
  5. Photographs exist of Sir Pratap Singh mounted on a horse, apparently in England, wearing his tight-calfed riding trousers with traditional Indian riding footwear rather than tall boots, dated 1917 & 1918. Images, Hulton Archives: 7 March 1917, Sir Pratap Singh on Horseback, Editorial Image #3096959; & gettyimages.co.uk image # 104416011, 1 January 1918
  6. "Polo in Rajasthan". Rajasthan Travel Guide. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  7. "marshal". Wiktionary. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  8. Thomas, Nigel; Babac, Dusan (2001). Men-at-Arms•356: Armies in the Balkans 1914-18. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   184176194X.p. 38
  9. Zaloga, Steven (1982). Men-at-Arms•117: The Polish Army 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   0850454174.pp. 33–34
  10. Goodman, Wendy (26 November 1984). "Fashion". New York Magazine. p. 72.
  11. Goodman, Wendy (26 November 1984). "Fashion". New York Magazine. p. 67.
  12. Crabtree, Helen K. Saddle Seat Equitation: The Definitive Guide Revised Edition; New York: Doubleday, 1982 ISBN   0-385-17217-6 p. 92-100

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Jodhpurs at Wikimedia Commons