Overtrousers (military)

In uniforms, overpants denotes an item of clothing worn over the actual trousers. In the cavalry in particular, normal breeches protected them . It was mainly used in this form from the end of the 18th to the 19th century.

Towards the end of the 18th century, overbutton trousers were introduced to protect the trousers of many cavalry units. They were made of linen or cloth. In the light cavalry, they went down to the ankles. Otherwise they were covered by gauntlets under the knee. The pants were buttoned on the sides by long rows of buttons over the entire length. To make the trousers more stable, the sides were partially trimmed , which gave buttons and buttonholes additional stability. The trimmings were often made in other colors and protruded as piping on the edge . Some of the overpants were provided with leather riding trimmings in the crotch and on the inside of the legs. The rows of buttons later became a mere ornament, as trousers with normal closures were soon introduced. In Prussia this happened in 1808. The button strips were also soon removed and only the tucks remained. The overpants protected the breeches from dust, dirt and damage as well as from the cold in winter, but the handling was cumbersome by today's standards.

The infantry kept breeches in use until the coalition wars. Long drill trousers were worn at the beginning of the 19th century in the form of overpants over gaiters and knee trousers. In Prussia this was the case around 1806. A short time later, normal long trousers replaced knee and overpants.

literature

• Georg von Alten: manual for army and fleet. Encyclopedia of War Studies and Related Areas, Vol. 4 , Berlin a. a., 1912 p. 892