Lederhosen
Lederhosen (literally, leather pants) are knee-breeches (or knickerbockers) or shorts made of leather. The lederhosen are made, in order of quality, of elk, goat, cow or pig hides. Usually, they are handsomely and elaborately embroidered, and accompaniied by leather suspenders (British, braces) that are either braided or embroidered with monograms, designs, or edelweiss, hunting or peasant motifs. The buttons are generally made of rough-hewn elkhorn.
Traditionally, they were worn by Germanic men of the Alpine and surrounding regions (Austria, the highlands and mountains of Southern Germany, the German-speaking part of Italy known as Tyrol, which was formerly a part of Austria until after the Great War, and Switzerland). , however, claims that lederhosen were not originally only a Bavarian garment, but that they had been worn all over Europe, especially by riders, hunters and others - and not only by the peasant folk. Only the flap may actually be a unique Bavarian invention. It became so popular in the 18th Century that it was known in France as "à la bavaroise," or in the Bavarian style.
Lederhosen have remained popular and are commonly associated with virility and brawn. Some men still enjoy wearing them when hiking, working outdoors, or attending folk festivals and Beer Gardens, although they are rarely seen elsewhere. Nevertheless, they have remained a symbol of regional pride.
The Turkish oil wrestlers wear a kind of Lederhosen called kisbet.
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