Figure 1.--Lederhosen are most associated with Germany. This 1979 clothing ad shows a variety of interesting trends. Leerhosen were being made for younger boys and a new development for girls. Proper lederhosen or leather, but they were made in other materials, including denim. The heading reads, "Lederhosen für zünftige Buam und fesche Madl'n!" This means something like, "Lederhosen: for sturdy lads and pretty girls!" Translating the ad copy is a fascinating exercize in linguistics. A Durch reader explains the wording. "Zünftige buam und fesche madl'n," is Austrian dialect, appropriate for describing lederhosen. "Fesche madln" means "pretty girls". "Zünftig buam" would be "flinke jongens" in Dutch. I’m at a loss for a good match in English. "Buam" is the Bavarian/Austrian pronunciation of "Buben" meaning fellows, lad, or chaps. It may also be used for "baby". In Swiss German it would be Bueb. "Zünftig" is everything a good boy that age is supposed to be. Mix sturdy, stout, strapping, and energetic into one word, perhaps "sturdy lads".

Quelle in 1979 offered a variety of lederhosen for casual wear. The real lederhosen were available in several different styles made from leather. There were even denim shorts made to look like lederhosen. There were worn with brightly colored check and plaid shirts. The shorts were shown with one girl model. Lederhosen were a oy's garnment, but here were shown for girls as well. The heading reads, "Lederhosen für zünftige Buam und fesche Madl'n!" This means something like, "Lederhosen: for [zünftige?] boys and [fesche?] girls!"

Quelle

The German mail order house Quelle Versandhaus was established in 1927. Quelle, is a German mail order company located in in Fuerth, Bavaria (where Henry Kissinger was born). I don't aware if Quelle was involved in export sales before World War II (1939-45). My guess it thar Quelle in the 1930s was primarily focused on the domestic market. This changed after the War and a considerable interest was palced on export maketing as well as foreign sourcing. A HBC reader reports that Quelle continues to be a very important mail order company. It also operates in France. A French reader reports that, "the articles sold in Germany are practically the same found in France. One of the older manufacturer is located in Orléan, France". There apparently were several different editions of theQuelle catalog. A French reader, for example, tells us that the catalog for French Guiana (also used in Guadeloupe and Martinique) didn'y have winter articles. Quelle still exsits and is quite an important one. Quelle in 1995 opened what they claimed was the world's most modern mail order house in Leipzig. Quelle incorporated as Quelle AG in 1997. Karstadt and Quelle merged in 1999 to form KarstadtQuelle AG.

German Ledehosen

It was the German state of Bavaria where lederhosen first appeared as rural wear for men--I think primarily farmers. I have few details on when boys began wearing them, but believe it was the 1920s. As short pants for boys had become common by the 1920s, the lederhosen for boys were mostly the short pants version. Some boys did wear the knickers version, but I think this might have been considered more of a formal version. I think that at first lederhosen were considered primarily an outdoor activity garment. I'm not sure if boys commonly wore them to school or used them for dress wear. They were widely worn by Scouts and other youth groups in the 1920s and by Hitler Youth boys after independent youth groups in the 1930s were "unified" under the Hitler Youth. After World war II, lederhosen were commonly worn by boys. They were worn by Scouts and others engaged in outdoor activities. Some boys would wear them with sports jackets for dressy outfits.

Garments Offered

Quelle in 1979 offered a variety of lederhosen for casual wear. The real lederhosen were available in several different styles made from leather. There were even denim shorts made to look like lederhosen. There were worn with brightly colored check and plaid shirts. The shorts were shown with one girl model. Lederhosen were a oy's garnment, but here were shown for girls as well. The heading reads, "Lederhosen für zünftige Buam und fesche Madl'n!" This means something like, "Lederhosen: for [zünftige?] boys and [fesche?] girls!"

Item 8: Trachtenlederhose

This is the grey drop flap lederhosen the boy at the left is wearing. The sizes are ??-152. Incidentally "Trachten" means traditional or folkloric.

Item 9: Leder Trachtenträger

This is the leather halter the boy is shown wearing with his lederhosen. The sizes are Gr. 70 and 80.

Item 10: Nappa Lederhosen

These are the shiny black lederhosen the boy at the bottom wears. The sizes look to be 95-120. Napa or nappa is asoft tawed leather, usually made from sheep or lamb skin, used for gloves, shoes, luggage and in this case lederhosen. This term came into use in Amerca during the 1890s. The term was derived from the Napa Valley in California where sheep were raised and the leather first produced.

Item 11: Leder Trachtenträger

This is the halter worn by the boy in the shiny black lederhosen. The sizes are 70 and 80.

Item 12: Leder Shorts

Leder shorts are short pants made to look like lederhosen. They are complelete with a halyer, although the butterfly on the halter was not a common motif on lederhosen. They also had double zip fronts like lederhosen. These look to be made in denim. Note the butterfly pockers. The sizes are Gr, ?2-122.

Item 13: Sporthemd

The Sporthemd is the collared shirt, litteraly sportshirt, with a checkered or ginham design. The one pictured is red. It came with both short (kurzen) and long (langen) sleeves (Ärmeln).

Item 14

I am not sure what the number of the girls's outfit is. They look to be styled just like the Leder Shorts that the boy in item 12 is wearing--with the same styalized butterfly. They may not, however, be in denim.

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Created: November 8, 2001
Last updated: 1:26 AM 6/19/2005