This has been on my mind lately.

 

Are breeches the euqivalent of trousers or underwear? In the WoT they sometimes seem to be trousers-like and sometimes underwear-like. Curious question I guess......

They are tight trousers.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeches

Hmm. Then I'm not sure why Rand was embaressed to be seen only in his breeches when Berelain entered his room in Book 4. That is what intially prompted me to wonder whethey they were actually underwear (which would be embaressing)...

He was bare-chested, in a bedroom. Thats enough concidering his upbringing.

He was bare-chested, in a bedroom. Thats enough concidering his upbringing.

 

Considering his upbringing, yes I must agree there

If I remember correctly underware are refered to as smallclothes or something like that.

How would you guys cope with being on a beach? Not just being on a beach, but getting to know a girl on the beach? I am taking my story as an example.

I think id be fine with that lolz or i might have what you meant wrong=p

Hmm. Then I'm not sure why Rand was embaressed to be seen only in his breeches when Berelain entered his room in Book 4.

 

Breeches are rather tight, aren't they? I imagine that combined with him being topless could have created some awkwardness...

 

Hmm. Then I'm not sure why Rand was embaressed to be seen only in his breeches when Berelain entered his room in Book 4.

 

Breeches are rather tight, aren't they? I imagine that combined with him being topless could have created some awkwardness...

 

 

I think the awkwardness would come from having nothing but tight pants on and standing in front of a beautiful woman....in the bedroom  ;)

That summed it up perfectly ;)

Breeches are pants, yes. Men's underwear in the books are referred to as smallclothes, while women wear a shift (I assume they don't wear anything else under their shifts...?)Breeches are designed for riding horses easily. Pants that are loose and not very stretchy bunch up and rub your legs raw. That doesn't feel so good, trust me! People who ride horses English-style still wear them. Women at least; men seem to have issues with how revealing they are...I can't imagine why lol.

 

In medieval days, men pretty much always wore breeches, since they rode horses pretty much every time they needed to go somewhere. They wouldn't be embarrassed by the tightness of them, except for...well...yeah...=) Like Jambo said lol. Their coats are usually long enough to cover that general area, but he wasn't wearing one, now was he? I think Jordan's intention was that Rand was embarrassed by her seeing him shirtless, though. I know Perrin was embarrassed when Berelain walked in on him in the same state, and it mentioned him quickly putting a shirt on, but I can't remember exactly where. Somewhere in Lord of Chaos, I believe. 

 

 

Berelain has quite a..skill for doing that. ::)

while women wear a shift (I assume they don't wear anything else under their shifts...?)

 

Far Dareis Mai wear small clothes, I suppose that's to be expected really but maybe some Wetlanders do to.

 

Then I'm not sure why Rand was embaressed to be seen only in his breeches when Berelain entered his room in Book 4.

 

I always thought the embarrasment stemmed not only from being seen topless and in tight pants but also because of who it was. Berelain walks around half naked at the best of times. Just outside the room you have Aiel who talk about almost anything openly and the Tairen guards. If it got out that Berelain was in your bedroom at night, half naked, what would people say. Elayne got completely the wrong idea and she knew that Rand was busy fighting mirror images at the time.

while women wear a shift (I assume they don't wear anything else under their shifts...?)

 

As a former member of the SCA, I can vouch that indeed, that is the case *mischevious un-pg13 grin*..

It'd be like wearing two raincoats when the first one does the job. 

 

  Breeches don't have to be tight.. too tight and they become hose.  mind you, this is not to be confused with breechclouts, which are the rectangular pieces of cloth that one wears between the legs and held up and on by a belt (almost an inverse kilt, actually, but I thought I'd just throw that out there for fun *grin*).

It's not so much the idea of her getting a detailed eyeful (which would be the case with hose, mind you, but probably the fact that if she had walked into a room with him alone, at all and looked at him with a suggestive look, he'd be embarassed. If I remember, the first few books had each ta'veren assuming the other new about women more then he did, getting nervous and embarassed just by the women being there and showing an interest in him.  Trust me, it can happen...

Uh! I don’t have much knowledge about this but I would like to share this post with my cousin. She is a fashion designer and I know she will know everything about this. She just presented a very comfortable and designer running bare leggings for me because I am about to start my workout.

Hard to explain, but I’ve been working out in the field shirtless and women have come up to me and I felt no discomfort. Same at a beach or pool. 

When I go into town... 7-11 policy, shirt and shoes ?On a hot summer day walking in a city, I kept a couple buttons done on a shirt.

A bare chest is perfectly natural in one place and aggressive in another.