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You are here: Home / History / Why did men wear tights in Medieval Times and how did they originate?

Why did men wear tights in Medieval Times and how did they originate?

April 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

You watch too much TV.

Tights on men of the Middle Ages were an invention of stage and screen, perhaps to give the actors something of the look of the age without going to the trouble of finding accurate costumes.

Men, both the Anglo-Saxon pagans and the Christians of the early Middle Ages, sometimes wore leggings. These were made of linen or leather. They were either fitted (made to form to the leg) or they were bound by leather laces around the legs.

Anglo-Saxons sometimes wrapped squares of leather around their legs with bindings, which gave a similar look.

Loose trousers—short and long—were also worn by men. The Anglo-Saxons called them brec, which is where our term “breeches” comes from.

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Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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