Traditional bavarian leather trousers

Traditional Bavarian leather trousers – considered as a part of the Bavarian traditional dress – are mainly available in two length: short (ending a bit above the knee) and half-long as a so called knickerbockers ending a bit under the knee. The short ones were classified as workpants the half-long ones as festive day trousers. Leather trousers are often worn with leathern suspenders; if the trouser holds without suspenders those are omitted. Leather trousers have been worn by people for eternities, verifiable back to the 6th century in the Alpine region. From the 16th century on the development of the style of leather trousers – as we know them as a part of the southern-German traditional dress – started. There have already been Bavarian associations in the 19th century which dedicated them to the retention of the traditional dress. There was enthusiasm for the traditional dresses even at the Bavarian royal court and the imperial court in Vienna which made the leather trousers – developed as rural work clothing – interesting for all social classes. The traditional leather trouser is worn only in a few areas as work clothing today, but it still exists. The enthusiasm for the classic Bavarian traditional dress became stronger as you can recognize for example by the clothing of the visitors – mainly the local visitors but not only - at the Munich Oktoberfest.