Every summer I struggle with shorts... Should the general public be exposed to my knobby knees? Surely shorts are worn only by sportsmen and schoolboys?
And yet, year after year, I attempt to don the military shorts of the 1940s Long Range Desert Group, imagining myself fighting Jerry across the bloodied sands of North Africa.
KNICKERBOCKER GLORY
Should we go as far back as the Roman “subligaculum” or medieval European “braies” to dig up the origins of shorts?
Although worn more as undergarments or fieldwork pants, both can be considered precursors to shorts.
How about 18th-century luxury silk or velvet knee breeches? And consider that before the French Revolution, it was the working classes who wore the long pants, while the aristocracy wore short culottes.
And yet, it wasn’t until the Victorian era that short pants developed into anything we might recognize today.
Short pants were standard wear only for young boys—ideal for climbing trees and scraping knees.
Boys often wore them until they "matured" to full-length trousers. Still today, at many private schools in the UK, schoolboys will wear shorts (even in winter) until they reach middle school.
BRITISH BERMUDA BREW
Surprisingly, it was a very British habit that led to the shorts we know today… Drinking tea.
During World War I, the British had set up their North American headquarters in Bermuda and made daily visits to the only tea house on the island.
Temperatures in the crowded building rose to unbearable levels with steaming tea urns and crowds of service men.
The owner, Nathaniel Coxton, found his staff needed more breathable uniforms. Finding a cheap and practical solution, he had a local tailor cut off their long pants just above the knee. Huzzah! Bermuda shorts!
Admiral Mason Berridge, who took his daily tiffin in the tea rooms, soon adopted the Bermuda shorts for his fellow officers.
Officers serving elsewhere in the British Army also took on the shortened version of the khaki military uniform.
In time, the top brass back in London declared that all British soldiers in the subtropics of the British Empire should be dressed in khaki Bermuda shorts as a uniform standard.
SCANDALOUS KNEES
Exposing the knees beyond practicality or the tropics was, in some communities in the USA, considered a matter of decency—and some went as far as to ban the wearing of shorts.
The town of Honesdale, Penn. banned shorts in 1938, with the newspaper stating, "Honesdale is a modest town, not a bathing beach."
However, a campus revolution was taking place elsewhere. At Dartmouth College, the Shorts Protest of 1930 brought more than 600 students to defy the much-hated dress codes outlawing exercise clothing in campus buildings.
The editors of the student newspaper had challenged readers to “lounge forth to the supreme pleasure of complete leg freedom.”
Even Fox Movietone News came to record the revolt. Meanwhile, a “Prominent Boston Clothier” wrote the school, calling the “average American student” brainless and saying, “Since they can’t be famous for brains, they use their legs.”
In 1932, Britain’s top-ranked tennis player, Bunny Austin, appeared in the U.S. National Championships in Forest Hills, Long Island.
For ease of movement he dared to wear flannel shorts instead of the standard white trousers, an act considered quite risque at the time.
As late as 1959, the city council of Plattsburgh, N.Y., voted to ban the wearing of shorts by anyone over 16 years old on city streets. Violators were liable to receive a $25 fine or 25 days in jail!
10,000 YARDS OF IVY
In 1958, William Jacobson, a leading textile importer, traveled to India to trade with a certain Captain C.P. Krishnan.
A deal was struck—a dollar a yard for a material possessing a "strong smell of vegetable dyes and sesame oils," woven of bright colors.
Krishnan warned Jacobson that the fabric should be washed gently in cold water to avoid bleeding.
Jacobson never told his clients including Brooks Brothers, to whom Jacobson sold 10,000 yards. Brooks Brothers then sold cotton madras garments to consumers without washing instructions, and the shorts and shirts bled out onto everything.
To counter the ire of their now-stained customers, Brooks Brothers employed the advertising giant David Ogilvy who, in true “Mad Men” style, coined the phrase "Guaranteed to Bleed" and used this as a unique selling point!
WHO WEARS SHORT SHORTS?
At the outbreak of war, the Gurkhas (units of Nepalese soldiers) who had been recruited by the British since the early 19th century, had their own uniforms.
One of the most iconic pieces being their short pants—barrel-legged shorts with a distinctive buckle waist (sometimes one, sometimes two buckles), high-waisted and often with pleats.
These shorts were light and practical for hot climates and adopted by the regular British Army units in North Africa, the Middle East, Singapore, and Burma.
There was not much use for shorts in Britain’s cold climes, and post-war they were mainly taken on by safari-goers and by those troops still stationed in Africa, Belize, and other theatres of war where the “combat short” evolved.
The Selous Scouts, a special forces unit of the Rhodesian Army during the Rhodesian Bush War (1973), modified their shorts, adding cargo pockets to some and camo to others.
In the Vietnam war, the climate also called for shorts, and although not officially issued, many took to buying locally made tiger stripe or OD shorts.
In many cases, troops simply cut down their issued 107s or ran around in their PT shorts. It is not clear if this amused or terrified the enemy.
The habit of wearing shorts that were initially used for physical training purposes was continued by the Army Rangers and later the USMC during the late 1970s.
Now known as Ranger Panties, they are made from a lightweight nylon material making them ideal for the rigors of physical training.
While images exist of Rangers wearing these while engaging the enemy, they were never an official combat uniform.
From humble beginnings as practical undergarments and military necessity to symbols of rebellion, shorts have come a long (short?) way.
Sometimes scandalous, often practical, and always evolving. Whether it's Bermuda shorts with a cup of tea or ranger training in “panties", shorts carry a heritage woven through history, culture and climate.
Next time you hesitate over those knobby knees, just remember: They aren't just for schoolboys.
Hello r/HeritageWear this is our bi-weekly BST thread. Here you can post any of your heritage related garments and hopefully connect with someone who is interested. Please be respectful and cordial while conducting business with each other. Always conduct business with integrity!
SCAMMERS WILL BE BANNED
Buy/Sell/Trade here at your own risk!
Always get complete contact information before anything is shipped.
Check that you aren't dealing with a brand new account or someone who has been reported at r/badkarma.
-Post a description that accurately describes what you are selling. Include measurements if you can.
-Update your thread when something gets sold or is no longer available.
-Post item condition and any images of the item. Be as descriptive as possible when posting an item for sale or trade.
-Items for sale should bear some relevance to r/HeritageWear content. Mods will use their discretion in determining what to remove.
Please be a communicative buyer or seller. There's nothing more painful than having someone drop off the face of the earth without leaving some sort of note. Happy hunting!
Please report listings that violate the rules above.
"This is a scheduled post, if I screwed up please contact the mods."
u/sterice88 did a product spotlight on his Seuvas pants the tapered version which led me to finding these. I went with the relaxed taper which is my fit preference. I really like these ecru pants as they fill multiple use categories for me. I do not previously have ecru pants, I was previously convinced black pants are the end all be all. These check off 3 boxes for me: canvas gives it a work painter pant feel with an untucked shirt, the pleats give it a formal twist if shirt is tucked in with loafers, and finally the cut and fit is very straight fit like fatigues. Easy to say I will be purchasing more items from Seuvas. These work in 65-80 degrees. These are a size small, and feel comparable to my size 2 orslow regular fit fatigues.
Shirt: Imogene and Willie x Richter goods. Labeled as shashiko, but would just say it’s just textured. One of my favorites this summer because of the pearl snap and length. I’m 5’7 and 145 lbs wearing a medium.
Shoes: Sperry Authentic Original 3-Eye Lug Boat Shoe. Bought for 29.99, they are listed at 39.99 presently. Very decent quality especially for that price point. They are quite comfortable out of the box given the suede is extremely soft.
Belt: Hugo boss
Watch: Rolex DJ 16233 36 mm 1993
I wore it untucked. I tucked here to show the pants.
Recently rolled the dice with the Tellason crapshoot jacket. Had minimal expectations but am very happy with what I received! Now I just to figure out how to style it correctly…
Preppy Style Island Exploring... From my "new" office.
I should highlight the shirt from Jamaica Jaxx - these really seem to fly under the radar... 50% silk (some models are 100%) picture pocket (the pocket lines up with the pattern) as well as the pattern lining up across the front and authentic coconut buttons! What's remarkable is they can be found for under $15 online "NWT".
PANTS: Polo Ralph Lauren Andrew Pants High rise, reverse pleats
SHOE: Wallace and Barnes Camp Moc with Vibram Lug Sole
SHIRT: Jamaica Jaxx Resort Shirt
WATCH: Seiko "Vader" 6139 from around 1975-79
BELT: Uniqlo Elastic Surcingle
Indeed, everything here was bought online "used" or NOS... bargain hunt!
I was inspired by u/garage_artists excellent history posts, unfortunately I lack his formatting skills 😂
The earliest known examples of belt buckles date back to 1500 BC. A number of examples were found in what would have been the Roman Empire. The earliest pieces were forged bronze as humans were still working their way through the Bronze age. Bronze was the scientific discovery that allowed humans to stop using stone tools and weapons. Bronze remained a prized metal by sculptors, nautical tool makers and many industries well after the advent of carbon steel during the Iron Age due to its qualities. Bronze has the unique ability to be work hardened to a strength almost equal to steel. This was a huge benefit to both industry and war.
Early buckles were crafted by skilled workers and limited to Nobility and high ranking military officials. They were mainly used to hold a scabbard for a sword.
It was over 1,000 years later before buckles became more decorative and used as we know today. They were still reserved to people with more financial means as they were expensive to manufacture with only hand tools and skilled labor. Many early examples were found in Spain.
The industrial revolution made it possible to mass produce buckles cheaply and thus the popularity of the modern day belt took off amongst the working class. The Industrial Revolution also saw Brass start to gain popularity as it was cheaper to make and had properties that made it useful in industry.
There are still thousands of Civil War era buckles in existence today they were mostly issued to the military. Reenactors have also replicated many of these old buckles to be used today in reenactments.
The Roaring Twenties saw more decorative and elaborate buckles often featuring enamel or precious stones.
WWII saw all metals being shipped off for war efforts. In 1943 the Federal Reserve resorted to making steel pennies due to the cost and lack of available Copper. There was very little metal for buckles. Leather workers became resourceful and designed buckle free belts that were tied on. Rilleau Leather pioneered two knotted belts and still makes them today.
The 1950's slowly saw metal reserves returning and the simple buckle shapes we know today started being manufactured. The classic Western trophy buckle saw rising popularity during this time as Cowboys in Texas began crafting them more often. Today Master craftsmen like Wilson Capron, Beau Compton and Michael Pardue make beautiful custom buckles.
The 1970's saw a surge in handmade cast brass buckles. These buckles ranged from pictorial wilderness scenes to various abstract shapes. Tech Ether was a popular collective of artisans which designed and created these buckles, many of which are collectable today.
The History in this era is hard to piece together but I have had a number of anecdotal conversations with industry professionals which suggest a number of causes that brought down the American buckle industry.
Science started showing the hazards of melting brass in foundries. Zinc and lead start to vaporize into gas before the brass actually melts which can cause occupational health hazards. This led to tighter regulations and better exhaust and air filtration in the foundries. Unions had been gaining strength for some time. Cast items are very rough when they are done. When the men machining the sprues off the rough castings became union members, labor costs went up. Rising costs made it difficult to make small items like buckles in the US.
In the 80's US companies and investors built foundries in Taiwan to manufacture small hardware that was no longer profitable to make in the US. Shareholder profits were increased and a lot of people lost very good jobs. Most buckles today are made in Taiwan. Even historic foundry Abbey England has begun selling some imported hardware to remain competitive, though they continue to produce their own historic designs.
I began forging buckles in 2015 and started selling them the next year. I began doing this out of sheer frustration from not being able to find US made buckles. I was also driven by the fact that most buckles fit very thick workwear belts very poorly and caused the leather to bunch up and create a bulge. The forged buckles I made fit medium weight straps well but I had to learn metal casting to make buckles that fit heavy weight straps
At the time handmade buckles were somewhat uncommon and difficult to find. Information on how to create buckles was also difficult to obtain. Internet forums and YouTube have made sharing this information easier to do. Much like in the 1970's there has been a resurgence in handmade buckles. Today one can find buckles from Blacksmiths, Jewelers, Silversmiths, bit and spur makers and even some leather craftsmen. Making it much easier for the individual to wear a unique buckle instead of a mass produced cookie cutter item.
Couple promos you can stack over at snake oil provisions to get a pretty good discount. Lots of heritagewear approved brands like double helix, rogue territory, white’s, full count, rrl, momotaro:
1) 10% off all gift card purchases. You’ll get a code immediately that you can use.
2) 15% off all sale items automatically applied to your cart.
3) it seems if you’re outside Cali, no sales tax if you check out with Shop but not on the actual Shop site/app. Unfortunately this means you can’t use your shop cash without triggering sales tax since that requires you to go through their actual app or site rather than SOP’s site.
Limited sizes on items but they seem to update in real time as it went out of stock as soon as I checked out. There are a few double helix a2 leather jackets as well as a really unique full count suede shirt with a printed pattern on it. Unfortunately no returns on sale so too high risk for me if they don’t fit right. If you’re a skinny fellow, good assortment of jeans (note the resolute jeans page says TTS but every where else says to size up 2-3…)
I’ve been working on expanding my layer options for warmer summer weather. I started with the poplin jungle jacket from buzz rickson which has been quite versatile given its olive color and ability to dress up or down. I’ve seen a few here discuss engineer garments with regard to unstructured relaxed blazers, but the $372 price point deterred me. While contemplating this piece at full price a few months ago, I concluded that at ~400 bucks I might as well add a couple hundred more and open up more options for relaxed blazers such as Gitman vintage or alternatively explore eBay. Please provide options for relaxed blazers if you have any preferences.
When I saw this for $130 on canoe club, it was a no brainer. In hand the fabric is amazing, it is extremely soft and light weight. I would say it is easy to wear in 75-80 degree weather.
There is still a medium left on canoe club website for anyone who is interested. I used Nepenthes for sizing. Pictured here is a size small post wash, and I am 5’7 145 lbs. The chest is a bit oversized even after hot wash imo. I tried it on with OCBD (not pictured), chambray, and a loop wheel teeshirt from Bronson; my conclusion is that it works better with the teeshirt. My rationale is that the teeshirt allows the relaxed silhouette of the blazer to shine reading more “work jacket” while simultaneously making the center appear less busy. The button downs seem to translate it as a casual blazer which the jacket does not fulfill due to its relaxed oversized silhouette and drape.
What are your thoughts is it better with the chambray or with the teeshirt?
I made another post and people were super helpful and I'm completely new to trying to put together outfits. I really like the California ranch style and I'm never in any situation where I have to dress up. It's also warm most of the year where I live and not much rain. I have some other denim that looks good and I wear mostly trucker style hats. In summer I'm always in shorts and flip-flops although I'd like to dress a little more my age at 52.
Been traveling lately and really embracing slouchier and more relaxed fits than usual.
I grabbed these Uniqlo shorts on impulse to try the silhouette, and came across this awesome vintage Vanson tee at a thrift shop. The Wescos I packed with me and I dont hate how they look here at all. Belt is my usual Sugar Cane number.
Definitely not this subs usual styling, but hey, 3/4 pieces fit the ethos!
Boncoura is $200 more for a heavy loop wheel knit zip up hoodie $495 total , is it worth the extra premium? Or just go with the warehouse & co 496 freedom sleeve zip joodie for $265. Any one have any experience with each brands hoodies?
Looking for a decent collar-roll, box pleat and locker loop etc.. Regular fit, not the slim or tailored fits available from the mod outfitters. Am I just looking at expensive heritage brands? Or does anyone make an affordable alternative?
Quick recap for anyone who hasn’t seen it: Fit Finder is a free database of denim measurements — waist, front rise, back rise, thigh, knee, leg opening — pulled directly from retailer and brand measurement charts. Every row links to the exact product page it came from.
Been heads-down on it this week. What’s new:
Six new brands. Brave Star Selvage, Tellason, Railcar Fine Goods, Left Field NYC, Unbranded, and Every Other Thursday, all entered from their own published charts, plus gap-fills for 3sixteen's ST cuts and Naked & Famous's Super/Groovy/Stacked Guy. Database is now at 294 models from 51 brands.
Compare goes four-way. Used to cap at two pairs side by side. Now it’s four, with whichever one you add first set as the baseline. Every other column shows the difference (Δ) from that fit at the same tag size, not just the raw number. Faster to see, e.g., that a 3sixteen CS-100x runs half an inch bigger in the thigh than a Railcar Spikes at the same size.
Find Similar redesign. Enter your own measurements, get the closest matches. Now has a diagram that fills in as you type, and results shown as Δ from what you entered instead of raw numbers you have to subtract yourself.
Added Hip as a field. Fit Finder has never had a gender field (there are already a couple of unlabeled women’s-cut entries in the database, like PRPS AMX), but Every Other Thursday’s women’s cut was the first chart that published Hip instead of, or alongside, Thigh. It only shows up as a column or filter when at least one fit you’ve loaded actually reports the measurement, so it doesn’t clutter the table for cuts that don’t have it.
Saved searches. Any Find Similar result, Browse filter set, or Compare view can now be named and saved. Data is kept in your browser, and each one gets a link you can bookmark or share. No account needed.
Data cleanup. Pulled a batch of duplicate rows that had crept in during the recent brand additions. Deleted a Brave Star entry that has measurements for a pair of shorts on the product page.
Rules that haven’t changed: one entry per cut, color/fabric variants collapsed into the main version; measurements are never averaged when two sources disagree — each model has one designated source, chosen for chart completeness and consistent methodology; anything not stated on the source chart stays blank rather than guessed.
It’s free to use with no affiliate links. If you find a bug, have a feature request, or have a brand/store you want to see added, let me know here or use the “Report it” button on the page.
If you’re as old as I am, you know that slimming silhouettes have a way of coming and going in fashion. After witnessing last weeks collective pearl clutching in the heritage boot community over Viberg‘s latest engineer boot release at Withered Fig (see 5th pic) I got to thinking about trends, specifically the flat toe engineer boot trend. People were aghast at the short shaft, and bulbous toe silhouette of the new Viberg but if you think about it, the industry is due for a shake up. Christophe Loiron introduced the Mister Freedom Road Champ in 2009 which ushered in the whole Flat Toe Engineer Boot Movement. What makes the Road Champ historically important is that it arrived before all of today's famous (and expensive) heritage engineer boots:
2009 - Mister Freedom Road Champ
2012 - Clinch Engineer
2014 - Role Club Engineer
In late 2019 – Wesco responds with the Mister Lou, bringing the flat-toe, slim-shaft engineer into a major American production line. Personally, I think the Mister Lou marks the moment the “flat toe movement” crossed from being a niche Japanese-inspired trend into the mainstream heritage boot market. After its release, it became much more common to see engineer boots designed around slimmer lasts rather than the traditional bulbous toe boxes. I also think it’s interesting that the timeline now tells a coherent story: Road Champ → Clinch → Role Club → Mister Lou, with each one broadening the audience for that vintage flat-toe aesthetic. It’s a nice historical arc.
That said, I suspect the flat toe engineer boot may go the way of the Hedi Slimane “Razor Lapel” blazer of 2001. (Yeah, I don’t expect you guys to know what that is so see the last pic) Historically, the problem with slim silhouette fashion is when it goes out of fashion, it goes way, way out of fashion. Thats why it’s so entertaining to watch guys with significant Clinch and Role Club collections attack the new Viberg. The way I see it, when you’ve invested the kind of cash those guys have, it can’t be fun to see trends change and your currency suddenly being devalued. Keep in mind that to a certain extent I’m in the same boat with those guys but i know you can’t fight evolution so when the time comes, I’ll go quietly. In the meantime though, I thought it might be cool to give some credit to Christophe Loiron and the Mister Freedom Road Champ. Here in the pics are my 2017 Road Champs followed by my Role Clubs and Clinch. I like the new Viberg. I think it’s a ballsy move by Viberg. To me it looks like an old school Wesco Boss from 1991. It might not be popular but think I’m going to buy a pair anyway..
The Pics: 1) Mister Freedom Road Champ, 2) Role Club, 3) Clinch, 4) Role Club 5)The New Viberg Engineers, 6)God Awful Slimane Razor Lapel Jacket
After losing some weight and treating myself to some fresh clothes, I’ve been enjoying getting back into the game after 15 or so years. Still actively losing, so I’ve been going with the affordable options for now. Really impressed with the quality of what I’ve gotten from Bronson and especially Red Tornado so far. For reference I’m 6’3” 243lb, but more pear shaped with a big waist and thighs.
Hat: Mister Freedom (this thing is 20 years old, don’t remember what they call it). Sorta train conductor style with some deadstock early 1900s brown canvas.
Shirt: Bronson 10.5oz cotton tubular gusset t XXL, nice and slubby.
Pants: Red Tornado linen sz40. Excellent comfy summer pants. Short inseam, but with sneakers, Birkenstocks, or boots I like it. They are pretty high rise, so if I go for a tucked in shirt, I like that better with a jacket.
In case you missed it, the latest in the ongoing series of long form posts on the origins of heritage clothing and accessories is up.
This week its the BANDANA - This square of printed cotton, typically no more than a couple of feet on each side, has wrapped the necks of cowboys and the hair of factory workers, signaled allegiance of miners and gangs; and lately draped artistically around the necks of rakish urbanites.
