Lederhosen
Lederhosen ("leather trousers" in German; singular: "Lederhose") are knee-breeches (knickerbockers or shorts) made of leather.
The word Lederhosen is frequently misspelled in English as Leiderhosen (literally, "sadly-breeches"), or liederhosen ("songs-breeches"). The proper pronunciation is /ˈledɚˌhozən/, but is often mispronounced as /ˈlidɚˌhozən/.
Traditional Bavarian men's clothing
Traditionally, lederhosen were worn by Germanic men of the Alpine and surrounding regions, including Austria, the highlands and mountains of Southern Germany, the German-speaking part of Italy's province of Bolzano-Bozen (formerly part of Austria until after WWI) and Switzerland.
La Couturière Parisienne, however, claims that lederhosen were not originally only a Bavarian garment, but that they had been worn all over Europe, especially by riders, hunters and others—and not only by the peasant folk. Only people in the south of Bavaria (south of Munich) had "Lederhosen." The flap (drop front style) may actually be a unique Bavarian invention. It became so popular in the 18th century, that it was known in France as "à la bavaroise," or in the Bavarian style.
Lederhosen have remained regionally popular and are commonly associated with virility and brawn. Some men enjoy wearing them when hiking, working outdoors, on a stag night, or attending folk festivals and beer gardens; they are rarely seen elsewhere. Nevertheless, they have remained a symbol of regional pride. Their role in Bavaria is thus comparable to that of the kilt in Scotland.
Traditional German boys' clothing
German boys up to the age of about 16 used to wear lederhosen. These lederhosen were less decorated than the Austrian tracht (mainly with regards to embroidery) but retained some typical attributes like the suspenders/braces, and drop front style flap. Even today, some German and French boy scouts wear various forms of lederhosen, although in most cases they do not form part of the official uniform. Lederhosen was also used by Austrian boys as well from the 1930s to the 1960s. Nowadays they are wearing them in special cases, like in a Biergarten or on a Zeltfest. The Austrian girls are wearing the Dirndl as a part of the tracht.
Similarities in other regions
The Turkish oil wrestlers wear a kind of lederhosen called kisbet, which are also beautifully embroidered and remarkably like the Alpine lederhosen, but without the suspenders.
References in popular culture
In the Simpsons episode Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk, Mr. Burns tells the press that he has no intention of selling his nuclear power plant to German businessmen. He states "I'll see the Statue of Liberty in lederhosen before I see my plant run by Germans".
In the film Trading Places, Jamie Lee Curtis' character dresses up as a foreign exchange student in a ruse to try to steal inside information from a spy. However, her incorrect choice of nationality causes her confederate Denholm Elliott to double take. She introduces herself as Swedish and Elliot says "But, you're wearing lederhosen".
The Ren & Stimpy Show frequently makes references to lederhosen. Ren tells the show's watchers to repeat this oath in order to be part of their secret club: "I do hereby promise only to watch the Ren and Stimpy show. To make underleg noises during the good scenes. To wear unwashed Lederhosen every single day of the rest of my life!"
The german band Rammstein was wearing lederhosen on their "Reise, Reise"-tour.
See also
- Clothing
- National costume
- Austrian folk dancing
- Not to be confused with: Leeuwenhosen