Martingale (clothing)

A martingale (also martingale belt) is a strap on a dress or a half-belt on a coat or a jacket, used to adjust the fullness of the cloth.

The martingale is typically attached to the piece of clothing by buttons. In a military overcoat, a martingale is a common and practical feature, as a pleated coat can be spread out as a blanket once the strap is unfastened.

Etymology
The name comes from a martingale strap used in the horse tack to restrict the movements of the horse's head; another theory suggests that the martingale coat originated in the 15th–16th centuries when a design of a man's martingale breeches included a flap between the legs buttoned to the belt in the back.

The word martingale comes from martegalo through martingale. The Occitan word is a feminine version of "from Martigues", where martingale breeches with (in the words of Rabelais) "a drawbridge on the ass that makes excretion easier" supposedly originated. It is also possible that the association between the pants and inhabitants of Martigues is due to the latter having a reputation for naiveté and extravagance.

History
In France, martingale breeches were apparently popular, being worn by Francis I of France, "mignons" of the royal court, and Rabelais' Panurge.

The first use of the martingale in a woman's dress dates to 1951 (Christian Dior at the autumn Paris Fashion Week). The strap was placed between the shoulder blades, and since then martingales have been used by couturiers everywhere, but avoiding the waistline.Martingale coats became fashionable for women post-war in 1950s and are still being made for men.