/fa/ - Fashion

>>12836947
Quite loosely starting at the bottom, so as not to constrict blood flow in the ankles and calf (a problem in WW1, hence the superiority of short puttees, gaiters and Kraut Jackboots). With cheaper wool blends, when the calf and ankle swells in heat/marching or the wool gets wet, it can constrict, so there's definitely a knack and a learning curve. They were largely worn as a fashion choice by the European genteel army's taste in order to look smart (like very high belts and impractically high mounted holsters), but were actually still used in English regiments until the 1970s until they were properly phased out. When done correctly they are really warm, really protective of burrs, hard wearing and don't slip down (use a miniature blanket pin to fasten them). They just take a while to put on and wool dries slowly (but is quite waterproof if treated). Pretty much every European tribe wore puttees, called Winingas, often inside their leather bootees (unstructed leather socks with hobnails or nothing). People's feet and calves were much healthier and stronger back then, walking in leather socks really activates your lower legs and forces your bones into alignment. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's, as it requires mental effort and problem solving to detect a good path for your (almost) bare feet. That's why I wear minimalist or reenactment boots out hiking, sometimes with winingas when i don't give a fuck about looking larpy

Europeans are cool as fuck