Category Archives: Museum Archives

Karl XI’s petticoat breeches

In the archives of Sweden’s Royal Armoury, from 1669:

1669_Karl XI_19662

Cloth of silver petticoat breeches – 22″ waist, with 56″ circumference for each leg. (Each. Leg!)  Approx. 5 yards of 4″ silver lace around hem and along side seams, with an additional 16 yds of 1/2″ inch trip applied vertically along the hem (inserted into small slits in the fabric, under the lace). There are traces of old stitches along the sides where rosettes or loops of ribbon might have originally been attached. Two hidden pockets on interior of waistband, two large pockets along sides (though not on actual seams.)

Gettin' my Janet Arnold on.

Possibly worn with this?:

The 15-year-old Charles in 1697 as king of the Swedish Empire

Mind. Blown.

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