Show madison first president to always use long pants james madison was the first president of the united states who habitually dressed in long trousers while he was chief executive washington the elder adams and jefferson wore knee breeches during their administrations says the rocky mountain herald trousers or long pants were adopted in france in 1789 by the supporters of the revolution for that reason the revolutionists were known as sans culottes which literally means without breeches that is without knee breeches worn by the royalists many americans adopted long pants in token of their sympathy with the french revolution between 1790 and 1800 trousers gradually came into vogue among the cot common n people in america but it was not until 10 or 12 years later that they were substituted for breeches on dress occasions although the duke of wellington is said to have worn trousers in england after the peninsular campaign beau brummell is usually credited with having popularized trousers in that country |