A pair of baggy, knee-length pants might not seem like the stuff of New York legend. But the term “knickerbockers” has been part of the city’s identity for more than two centuries, from Dutch settlers in old New Amsterdam to championship basketball courts.
But from Dutch settlers in old New Amsterdam to championship basketball courts, the term “knickerbockers” has been part of the city’s identity for more than two centuries.
What exactly are 'knickerbockers'?
Knickerbockers are loose trousers, rolled or gathered just below the knee, worn by Dutch settlers in 18th- and early 19th-century New York.
Washington Irving helped popularize the word in 1809 with the publication of his satire, A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker.
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