Would appreciate amplification.
Breeches end at the knee and are usually worn with stockings and pumps.
No gentleman would think of attending a formal engagement during our period in anything other than breeches. If the pantaloons are the usual buttoned kind and worn with boots they can look very much like breeches but are rather more comfortable to wear when riding. Trousers were developed from overalls, though they fit the leg rather more closely. They are still very loose compared to the above, are invariably worn over the boots and can be strapped under the foot. As with most things in life, words mean things and are not interchangeable.