That's a great idea. Outfits like "Cheaper Than Dirt" (.com) sometimes have European Army (take your choice) surplus wool pants for good prices. Think I'll give it a try.
Craig Montgomery, Trumpeter (1967-1971)
Company B 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry (Rush's Lancers)
Army of the Potomac (North-South Skirmish Assoc.)
Tucson (site of the westernmost battle of the Civil War)
> George R. "Syke" Paczolt:
> Actually, making plus fours (to the Americans:
> breeches, britches, or knee-breeches) are incredibly
> simple:
>
> Hit you local Goodwill and fine a couple of pairs of
> wool trousers. Don't sorry about length, just make
> sure they fit well in the waist and seat. Cut them
> off just below the knee, and use the remaining
> material to make an overlapping cuff. Add button hole
> and button, and you've got a perfectly good pair of
> plus-fours.
>
> OK, to me it's simple - I've spent fifteen years
> sewing professionally, running an English Civil War
> sutlery (to our English bretheren who understand the
> concept, it's Syke, Sgt. of Musket, third company of
> Sir Thomas Blackwell's Rgt. of Foote, King's Army,
> ECWS - retired these last five years), and prior to
> that, it's how I made my cross-country skiing
> breeches. That's how I trained when the snow made it
> impossible to cycle.
>
> Unfortunately, since I moved to VA, the cross-country
> skiis have done nothing but gather dust. And I
> haven't sewed a pair of breeches in years. Just the
> same, I'm looking at these pictures and starting to
> wonder if there's a local market for this stuff . . .
> .