10 interesting facts about over-the-knee-boots! (List)

Read here 10 unknown interesting facts about the fashion trend of 0ver-the-knee boots according to wikipedia.org.

1. Over-the-knee boots (or cuissardes, which include thighboots, top boots, hip-boots, and waders) are long boots that fully or partly cover the knee.

2. Originally created as a man’s riding boot in the 15th century, in the latter part of the 20th century, the style was redefined as a fashion boot for women.

3. Over-the-knee boots are also used as a work boot in circumstances requiring additional protection for the legs.

4. Over-the-knee boots first became popular as riding boots for men in the 15th century, when the growing popularity of doublet and lightweight hose meant that extra protection was required for the legs when on horseback. This was also linked to the decline in the use of full plate armour as the use of firearms became more widespread in warfare. Heavy cavalry in the 16th and 17th centuries had only limited armour, in the form of a helmet and breastplate, or cuirass. Thigh-length boots in heavy leather provided additional protection for the legs. Today, many cavalry regiments still retain these high boots for ceremonial dress.

5. The earliest examples of women wearing over-the-knee boots come from the traditional principal boy role in pantomime theater, in which the young male protagonist of the play is played by a young actress in boys’ clothes. These breeches roles were also a rare opportunity for an early 20th century actress to wear a revealing costume, potentially increasing the size of the audience.

6. The adoption of over-the-knee boots as a fashion item for women began in the early 1960s.

7. In 1962, Balenciaga’s fall collection featured a tall boot by Mancini that just covered the knee and the following year, Yves Saint Laurent’s couture collection included thigh-length alligator skin boots by designer Roger Vivier.

8. These were based on a design originally produced by Vivier for the dancer Rudolf Nureyev in the ballet Swan Lake.

9. The adaptation of hyper-masculine boots as fashion footwear for women has been interpreted as part of a broader 1960s trend against the femininity of Dior’s post-war “New Look”.

10. Rising hemlines and the availability of new, brightly colored artificial materials such as PVC, combined to make boots an attractive fashion option for younger women. As skirts became even shorter in the late 1960s, there was a resurgence of interest in thigh-length boots or cuissardes.