Why did old army pants bulge out to extremes at the thighs like with General MacArthur or Patton?

Answer 1

These are Cavalry pants. These pants are tight around the calf of the lower leg and very loose fitting above the knee and especially at the thigh. This type of uniform was worn by many different armies and types of soldiers. They are still worn by modern equestrian riders competing in sports. However, modern pants are made of modern material that allows more stretch than the older type of cotton and wool.


Cavalry units began wearing pants that were tight on the lower legs as far back as the Napoleonic Wars. US Cavalry troopers would wear a high boot and the tight pants made it easier to wear these tight boots. In older times, Officers of infantry units would always ride horses so they also adopted these pants. Thus is was a tradition among many armies, such as the German army of WW2, for the generals to wear these riding pants with a wide Red stripe down the legs.


General Patton was known for his elaborate uniforms. He even designed some uniforms that he submitted for approval. Also General Patton was instrumental in the formation of the early American Armored corps. Many Cavalry units were transformed into Armored units. So it was common to see these ridding pants worn by members of the early Armored units as well as the early Army pilots. During WW1, many American pilots still wore riding boots and spurs even while they were flying.