Men in Tights Trivia Quiz

Answer: Himation

Garments worn in Ancient Greece were either to protect the body from harsh sunlight, or for additional warmth during cool evenings and cold winters. The same clothing styles were generally worn by men and women. Although there are no physical remnants left, it is with the archeological discovery of statues and pottery that has given us an idea of how fashionable people became during this period. Plain linen or wool were probably used, with some cloth having bright dyes and intricately designed borders.

The himation was a square piece of loose covering draped over the left shoulder and not the right shoulder, as to keep one's left shoulder bare was believed to be a sign of being barbaric and uncivilised.

Answer: Chain mail

Many wars and battles took place during the medieval period and protective clothing was a necessity rather than a fashion statement. Chain mail, coat of mail or ring armour were the names given to the protective covering soldiers wore at battle during this period.

The name was taken from the old French word "maille" meaning "mesh". It was a flexible garment made with small interlocking metal rings made from brass or iron. Believed to be invented by the Celts, chain mail would protect the wearer from stab wounds. Different parts of the body could be protected; the legs protected by chausses, the head by a mail coif, the hands by mittens, the throat and neck by a camail and the chest and arms by a shirt called a hauberk.

The image shows chain mail worn during the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Answer: Trunk hose

People have heard the term "men in tights" but hose was a serious piece of clothing during the Middle Ages and through to the Elizabethan era. Not only were they able to keep the legs warm, but the wealthy used them as a fashion statement to show how snugly they fit the wearer, and how attractive their legs were. Men would often wear a short jacket tapered at the waist called a doublet, and below that, a pair of trunk hose which looked like a short pair of puffed up breeches. They were sometimes padded and made with contrasting vertical panels. The most exaggerated types were often called pumpkin breeches. The image shows Sir Walter Raleigh wearing doublet with trunk hose, and his son wearing slops, a type of longer hose.

Galligaskins were long wide breeches worn in the 16th and 17th century. Netherstocks were hose which covered the lower leg and held up by garters. Rhinegraves were full petticoat breeches which were usually tied at the knee with ribbons.

Answer: Jabot

A cravat was the forerunner to the tie that men wear today. It was a long and wide piece of cloth tied loosely at the neck and then tucked into the shirt. Around the same time (17th century) came the jabot, a decorative piece of cloth which was tied or pinned at the neck which then hung loose over the shirt.

The name was taken from the French word jabot meaning "a bird's crop". They were normally made from decorative lace but were also made with other fabric. Jabots today are often seen worn in courthouses by officials including judges and barristers, although the clothing accessory is more sober looking than its predecessor.

Answer: Justaucorps

Justaucorps, or justacorps, was a style of knee length coat that men wore during the latter half of the 17th century, and throughout the 18th century. It is taken from the French word meaning "close to the body", but its modern meaning is actually "leotard". Looking nothing like the leotard that dancers wear today, the old fashioned justaucorps was often worn by men of great wealth.

Their tailors would make the coat from silk, satin or damask, and embellish with gold and silver threads to create intricate designs. Ordinary men also wore them, but as plain-styled uniform when part of household staff, or if they served in the armed forces. Added to waistcoat and breeches, the fashion style started to resemble the three-piece suit that men wear today.

Answer: Merveilleuses

A dandy was a man who was concerned about being stylish and fashionable. The most famous of them all was Beau Brummell (1778 - 1840), friend to King George IV, and a man who was often credited with introducing the modern day men's suit. His refinement and cleanliness set a precedent in the world of men's fashion. Other dandy's throughout history have included Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde and Liberace.

The macaroni was the precursor to the dandy. They were the fashionable young aristocrats of the 18th century who returned back to England after visiting Italy, bringing with them new ideas and their love for the pasta dish, macaroni, hence their nickname. Yes, they were fashionable, but their style of dress was vastly exaggerated. Their name featured in the lyrics of the well known song, "Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap, and called it macaroni."

Incroyables were the fashionable elite of Paris during the late 18th century. Their idea of fashion was more of a political statement after the Reign of Terror when a lot of their friends had been sent to the guillotine. Incroyables wore clothes that made their bodies look out of proportion, with fashion styles that flouted all the rule books of the time. They looked ridiculous and were ridiculed and reviled by most of society. The female equivalent was known as the Merveilleuses.

Answer: Gamekeeper

Edward Coke was a politician and the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester. He owned land in Norfolk and his gamekeeper was prone to hitting his head when he rode underneath low lying branches. Coke visited the London milliner, James Lock of Lock & Co, and commissioned a new style of hard hat which was designed by two brothers, Thomas and William Bowler.

They charged 12 shillings for the hat. Famous people who have worn a bowler hat include Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and the fictional characters John Steed ("The Avengers") and Oddjob ("Goldfinger").

Answer: Plus-fours

St Andrews in Scotland was the home of modern golf, and golfers had to endure the harsh weather conditions that came off the North Sea. Men wore warm knickerbockers that ended below the knee, heavy woolen jackets, and tweed caps. The dress-code for golf remained the same until the early 19th century when the sport became fashionable amongst the wealthy. Plus-fours replaced the knickerbocker.

They were very similar to the knickerbocker, but the plus-fours were four inches below the knee, plus-sixes were six inches below the knee, and plus-eights were eight inches below the knee. Plus-fours were replaced in the 1930s by full length flannel trousers, and since then, lighter fabrics have been introduced for those playing in warmer climates.

The character Tintin, who was created in 1929 by Belgian cartoonist, Herge, was often seen wearing plus-fours on his adventures with Snowy the dog.

Answer: Peacock revolution

The swinging sixties was an era when lines between male and female fashion began to blur. Women burned their bras while men burned their drab brown, grey and black suits, preferring instead to be seen in the bold colours of blue, pink, orange, red and green. Men were not afraid to wear bold stripes, flower motifs, tie-dyed T-shirts, ripped denim jeans and PVC high heels.

They took on effeminate styles by wearing chiffon and silk blouses, velvet caftans and robes. Elvis Presley influenced fashion by wearing colourful Hawaiian shirts. Marc Bolan and Jimi Hendrix also influenced fashion with their longer hair, glittery makeup and boa feather accessories.

The word "unisex" became known universally. London fashion designer Mary Quant called it a "youthquake" but it was men's "Esquire" magazine who coined the phrase "peacock revolution".

Answer: Livestrong

Fashion trends of the early 21st century were hit by austerity measures and retro clothes made a comeback. Bowties, cardigans, skinny-fit jeans and preppy sneakers all reappeared in the shops. It was okay for men to mix floral shirts of the 1960s with leggings of the 1980s. Briefcases became a thing of the past, only to be taken over by man bags in various styles and sizes. Moustaches of the 1980s and goatees of the 1990s were replaced by beards in the new millennium. These big beards matched with a rugged outdoor checked shirt gave birth to the new phrase "lumbersexual" (lumberjack and metrosexual).

Men's health has always been important but charity initiatives including Movember gave it a much needed boost in the media. Awareness ribbons were popular but they were overtaken by the silicon charity wristband. The Lance Armstrong Foundation was created in 1997, but rebranded to Livestrong in 2003 when its founding member, Lance Armstrong, resigned after the doping scandal. It was Livestrong which kickstarted the charity wristband phenomenon in 2004. To date, over 80 million Livestrong wristbands have been sold to improve lives for people suffering with cancer.