a garment worn by males, reaching from the girdle to the knees, and serving to cover the hips, thighs, &c.

The ancient Romans had nothing in their dress answering to our breeches and stockings; instead of which, under their lower tunics and waistcoats they sometimes bound their thighs and legs round with silken scarves or fasciae, called tibialia and femoralia. Breeches appear to be a habit peculiar to the barbarous nations, especially those inhabiting the colder countries of the north; whence Tacitus calls them barbarum tegmen. We find mention made of them among the ancient Getae, Sarmatae, Gauls, Germans, and Britons; they also obtained among the Medes and Persians, as being a people of Scythian origin; they also afterwards got footing in Italy, some pretend as early as the time of Augustus; but without much foundation, that emperor's breeches, mentioned by Suetonius, being apparently only swaths tied over his thighs. However this be, breeches were at last received into Italy, and grew so highly into fashion, that it was thought necessary under Honorius and Arcadius, to restrain them by law, and expel the tracarii or breeches-makers out of Brescia, the city; it being thought unworthy of a nation that commanded the world, to wear the apparel of barbarians.