Stirrup pants (or stirrup leggings) are a type of close-fitting ladies' pant that tapers 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.

History

Stirrup pants were first worn as jodhpurs for horse riders. The purpose of the strap under the foot was to hold the pant legs in place in the boots of the rider. As ladies moved away from riding sidesaddle, they began wearing riding breeches in the 1920s in a similar style to those worn by men. By 1934,

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 ...

as riding pants with foot straps were being advertised in the United States mail order catalogue for

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began ...

. Horse riding breeches are still made with an elastic foot strap in some designs. Stirrup pants for skiing were introduced at the

1936 Winter Olympic Games The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

in Germany. Stirrup stretch pants were a mainstay of ski wear for both men and women during most of the 1960s and part of the 1970s. In the 1960s this style was used for women's and girls' stirrup pants. They were popular for several years as shown in clothing catalogs of the day, such as J.C.Penney, Sears, and Montgomery Ward. Stirrup pants became a popular casual fashion for women in Europe and America from the mid-1980s to the early to mid 1990s. In 1985, Linda Pender wrote in ''Cincinnati Magazine'' that stirrup pants were "being touted as ''the'' wardrobe basic of the year, and ''every''body is buying them". On the one hand, the style was promoted as being "easy to wear" and giving "most figures a long, lean line"; on the other hand, a salesclerk pointed out to Pender that the style was not flattering unless the wearer was "slim and fit". They would be worn with an oversized shirt, sweatshirt or sweater and

slouch socks Slouch socks (slouchy socks) are a type of sock featuring a heavy non-elastic upper that may be pushed down into heavy folds around the ankles or pulled up to the knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, ...

worn over them with casual sneakers such as

Keds Keds is an American brand of canvas shoes with rubber soles. Founded in 1916, the company is owned by Wolverine World Wide. The original shoe design, the Champion, was the first mass-marketed canvas-top "sneaker". History Early history In 1 ...

, athletic sneakers or

boat shoes Boat shoes (also known as deck shoes) are typically canvas or leather with non-marking rubber soles designed for use on a boat. A siping pattern is cut into the soles to provide grip on a wet deck; the leather construction, along with the applic ...

. And it was just as popular to wear the stirrup pants with pantyhose or tights under the stirrup pants with the oversized tops and ballet flats making the pantyhose or tights visible at the foot up to the a little above the ankle area. For a time there was even denim stirrup pants and dress pants with stirrups. Leggings in general became fashionable streetwear during the 1980s, as did sweatshirts especially oversized style, leg warmers, slouch socks, leotards, body suits and other items that originated in sports and dance studios.

References

{{reflist Sportswear Trousers and shorts

History

See also

References