Plus fours

Plus fours

Plus fours are trousers that golfers wear 4 inches below the knee (and thus four inches longer than traditional knickerbockers, hence the name). They have been traditionally associated with sporting attire from the 1860s and onward, and are particularly associated with golf.

Plus fours were introduced to America by Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VII of the United Kingdom) during a diplomatic trip in 1924. They are often seen on golf courses, and frequently worn with argyle socks, silk ties, and dress shirts/sweaters. Some plus fours even came as complete suits.

They were later brought back to prominence by the professional golfer Payne Stewart who wore them on the PGA Tour.

The fictional comic book character Tintin was also usually seen wearing them. Reference is made to this article of clothing in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

André 3000's Benjamin Bixby clothing line, which is based on the clothes worn by Ivy League athletes of the 1930s, features plus fours. [Wilson, Eric. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/fashion/02BIXBY.html?_r=1&oref=slogin André Benjamin’s Clothing Line Includes Plus Fours and Club Sweaters] , "The New York Times", October 1, 2008, last accessed October 2, 2008.]

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • plus fours — n [plural] short loose trousers that are fastened just below the knee. Men wore them in the past, especially when playing golf …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • plus fours — noun plural loose pants that are fastened below the knee, worn by men when playing sports, especially golf, in the past …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • plus fours — plus′ fours′ n. clo (used with a pl. v.) long, baggy knickers for men, worn for golfing and other sports, esp. during the 1920s • Etymology: 1915–20 …   From formal English to slang

  • plus fours — ► PLURAL NOUN ▪ men s baggy knickerbockers reaching below the knee, formerly worn for hunting and golf. ORIGIN so named because the overhang at the knee required an extra four inches of material …   English terms dictionary

  • plus fours — n. [orig. a tailoring term indicating an added four inches of material for overlap below the knee] loose knickerbockers worn, esp. formerly, for active sports …   English World dictionary

  • plus-fours — also plus fours N PLURAL: also a pair of N Plus fours are short wide trousers fastened below the knees which people used to wear when hunting or playing golf. [OLD FASHIONED] …   English dictionary

  • plus fours — [20] The term plus fours was introduced around 1920. It is an allusion to the fact that such trousers were made four inches longer in the leg than the standard knickerbockers or shorts of the time, which came to just above the knee …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • plus fours — see plus fours …   English dictionary

  • plus fours — [20] The term plus fours was introduced around 1920. It is an allusion to the fact that such trousers were made four inches longer in the leg than the standard knickerbockers or shorts of the time, which came to just above the knee …   Word origins

  • plus fours — plus foured, adj. long, baggy knickers for men, introduced before World War I and worn until the 1930s for sports activities, esp. golf. [1915 20; so called because four inches are added to the length of ordinary knickers to give the desired… …   Universalium

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