Breeches are an article of clothing that cover the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. They are a type of riding pant that has evolved into a technical garment that is very popular with all English disciplines. Breeches are designed in a thin fabric that fits snugly and feature a grippy knee patch or full seat pattern for the rider to have more grip on the saddle. The original design of jodhpurs, another type of riding pant, was developed in India for polo players, while breeches were a standard item of Western mens clothing that had fallen out of use by the mid-19th century in favor of trousers. The word "breeches" is a double plural known since c. 1205, from Old English brēc, the plural of brōc "garment for the legs and trunk". Like other words for similar garments (e.g., pants, knickers, and shorts), the word breeches has been applied to both outer garments and undergarments. Breeches use a plural form to reflect that they have two legs, and the word has no singular form (it is a plurale tantum) .