TROUSERS  , the name given to the

article of dress worn by men, covering each leg separately and reaching from the waist to the foot . The word in its earlier forms is always found without the second r, e.g. trouses, trouzes, trooze, cf. the Lowland Scots word " trews," and is an adaptation of the French trousses, trunk-hose, breeches, the plural of trousse, a bundle, pack, truss, from trousser, to pack, bundle up, tuck, tie up, girth, of which the origin is doubtful . In English the word " trousers," when it first appears, was used of the leg-garments of the Irish, who wore their breeches or trunk-hose and stockings in one piece, a custom to which there are many allusions in 17th-century literature . Knee-breeches and top-boots for out-of-door wear or stockings for indoor use lasted till the beginning of the 19th century as the regular costume for men . Pantaloons, loose trousers reaching to above the ankle, were worn in Venice by the poorer classes in the 17th century (for the origin of the name see PANTALOON) . The characters of the Italian comedy made the style of garment familiar in France, but it was only seen in the fantastic costumes of the ballet . During the reign of Louis XVI. loose pantaloons became fashion-able for the morning deshabille of men . Their adoption by the supporters of the Revolution was the origin of the name of sans-culottes applied to the revolutionaries . Beau Brummel, in England, was probably the first to make the " pantaloon " popular . A striking feature of his dress were the tight-fitting black trousers reaching to the ankle, where they were buttoned . From this developed the true trousers, cut over the boot at the instep, at first open at the bottom and fastened by loops, later strapped tight under the boot . It is said that the duke of Wellington introduced this latter form after the Peninsular War .

They were not recognized as correct for evening wear, and strong opposition was taken against them by the

clergy and at the universities (see COSTUME) .