Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Foot- and Head Wear

Although the Dutch take the credit for the wooden shoes, or clogs, this footwear was used elsewhere in Europe as well. In France, from the 18th century, it was the typical footwear of the lower economic classes,  sabot in French. During the years of the industrial revolution the word "sabotage" gained currency. Sabotage described the actions of disgruntled workers who willfully damaged workplace machinery by throwing their sabots into the works. However, according to some accounts, sabot-clad workers were simply considered less productive than others who had switched to leather shoes, roughly equating the term "sabotage" with "inefficiency".
It's in the detail; clogs are not so great while 
climbing trees - hence left at the foot of the tree
And the beret too was largely seen among the poor; a simple headgear, practical and efficient and relatively cheap.

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