A Colonial Merchant: The Ledger of William Ramsay

Alexandria, VA 1753-1756

Artifact: Leather Breeches

Leather Breeches

Materials: Leather

Dimensions: OL: 33" Inseam: 22" Waist 31 1/2"

Date: 1820-1825

Origin: America

Collection: Image Courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

License: All rights reserved

Ledger Entry: Leather Breeches

Leather Breeches

Department: Clothing

Customer: Captain George Mercer

Ledger Page: 359

Imported From: Most of the ready to wear clothing sold in the Ramsay store would have been imported from England. Textiles were one of the largest departments of the store, indicating that most customers made their own clothing.

Product Description

Breeches are a men's lower body garment that typically terminated just below the knee. The breeches could be closed and fastened by either buttons or by a draw-string, but in the eighteenth century, decorated buckles were often used both the fasten the breeches and as fashion accessories. Breeches were largely covered by the long coats and waistcoats popular at the time.

Citation: Accessed February 26, 2017. https://www.history.org/history/clothing/men/mglossary.cfm;

Historical Price: 7 shillings, 6 pence; Modern USD: $84.1

Product Variations

The databases record eight purchases of breeches. Four of these are leather, three are knitted, and the eighth is qualified as better. Their prices range from seven shillings six pence to eighteen shillings nine pence.