Oxford Bags

[DAJE]

Yes, I've seen them on British battledress uniforms. But the extra buttons were, I believe, for buttoning the battledress blouse to the trousers.

Perhaps you're right: I've had a look for pictures and (of course) can't find any that are definitely what I thought I saw.

 

[DAJE]

Please show what you mean on the sketch I made. I think we are talking past each other.

Normal buttoning braces had two buttonholes on each of the three straps - makes 6 buttons in total on the trousers.

If you want to suggest (as I read your comment) that all 12 buttons on the trousers were used at the same time,
you´d need four buttonholes on each end of the braces, either on four leather tongues or on two wide tongues with two slits each.

I have never seen 12 button-braces and would appreciate a photo or illustration.

I'm a bit busy right now, so I can't make an illustration, but on the braces on the left in your picture, each of the two straps has one buttonhole. Imagine wider straps, each with two adjacent buttonholes. I'm fairly sure I've seen braces like that, but can't find a picture right now.

Yes, it's overkill, but there's no way that 12 braces buttons isn't some kind of overkill.

 

[DAJE]

Here is an example of the kind of breeches I mentioned, from the Imperial War Museum collection (so there's no question that they're genuine).

As you can see, they have doubled braces buttons on the front.

 

[Fastuni]

Thanks, the existence of trousers with 12 buttons is undisputed.

But I can´t find any example of braces to use with all 12 buttons at the same time.
While I don´t exclude the possibilty that there were such braces... I never saw any evidence.

The British Army braces were like every normal braces for 6 buttons - so the extra buttons are again either spares or for adjustment of fit.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30101227

 

[DAJE]

While I don´t exclude the possibilty that there were such braces... I never saw any evidence.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Safety-Fi..._Security_Fire_Protection&hash=item35c0dd5c4d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suspender...e-Button-End-Fireman-Suspenders-/181429646371

Neither of those is exactly what I was talking about, but they prove to my satisfaction that such things exist in the real world.

...anyway, I think we've derailed the Oxford Bags discussion enough now.

 

[LuvMyMan]

It is interesting to try to find any really decent bags right now...but I have to ask, as I would be buying for my Husband, what makes a pair of pants real bags? Is there a measurement of width of the pant leg that a pair of pants has to meet to be classified as bags or no?

 

[Edward]

TwoTypes and HBK are the ones to ask here. The real Oxford Bags, though, as noted above were never as wide as the American college pants on which the vast majority of commercially available "bags" are now based. The resl thing were much closer to a standard late thirties trouser.

 

[Two Types]

It is interesting to try to find any really decent bags right now...but I have to ask, as I would be buying for my Husband, what makes a pair of pants real bags? Is there a measurement of width of the pant leg that a pair of pants has to meet to be classified as bags or no?

The quick answer is that the early Oxford Bags were around 24 inches at the bottom (which was wider than the measurement at the knee). At the most extreme, they reached 32 inches, but that was for a very brief period. The photos that show super-wide bags are part of a myth that was just for press consumption. At least that's what I can work out from available press reports etc. I would always be happy to see any further evidence ...

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

TT said it all. For the trousers I would recommend a rather sturdy fabric. Not too business-y if you know what I mean. Rather grey or cream flannel, maybe whipcord. Something like that.

 

[herringbonekid]

The quick answer is that the early Oxford Bags were around 24 inches at the bottom

i hope i see a pair of mid-20s British Oxford bags before i die. [huh]

 

[Rudie]

i hope i see a pair of mid-20s British Oxford bags before i die. [huh]

I hope I see the light before I die. [angel]

 

[LuvMyMan]

TT said it all. For the trousers I would recommend a rather sturdy fabric. Not too business-y if you know what I mean. Rather grey or cream flannel, maybe whipcord. Something like that.

Thanks everyone...my Husband does have maybe three pairs of pants that are very much wider than normal....not sure if they could be called, "bags" but they are some super nice wool, not the thin wool normally you would see in pants today. He purchased them in Europe in the year 1976. Double pleated and cuffed and when he does wear them, they just remind me of the pants that were wider as being worn by Hollywood actors from the 1930 or 1940's. I also recently purchase some really wide pants that are different than most pants I have ever seen for him. They are like wide wale corduroy but softer and each "stripe" going down the legs are wide and have a brush look (best way to describe it). The stripes are raised off the rest of the material. I will have to post some pictures later of these pants.

 

[Warbaby]

I hope I see the light before I die. [angel]

"More light..."

- Goethe's last words

 

[herringbonekid]

 

[Rudie]

These guys look certainly older than students in their early twenties.

BTW, how did they keep those fuzzy white trousers clean? There was no dry cleaning yet, I believe?

 

[herringbonekid]

BTW, how did they keep those fuzzy white trousers clean?

i would guess they got fairly grubby and cleanliness wouldn't have been a big issue for a rowing trouser. hand washing would suffice though.

 

[Barmey]

Wonder which one of them is the Cox hahaha

 

[LuvMyMan]

Wonder which one of them is the Cox hahaha

The doggie! :cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2::jaw::jaw:

 

[LuvMyMan]

These guys look certainly older than students in their early twenties.

BTW, how did they keep those fuzzy white trousers clean? There was no dry cleaning yet, I believe?

I am not sure when dry cleaning came about, but I do know it was around a long time before most would guess? In fact, I just looked it up.....lol.....by the mid 1930's dry cleaning was going full force....but from what I just read, similar methods of cleaning clothing and other materials had been around for some time before, sort of an interesting spin on it, look it up on line....

 

[Mario]

I am not sure when dry cleaning came about, but I do know it was around a long time before most would guess? In fact, I just looked it up.....lol.....by the mid 1930's dry cleaning was going full force....but from what I just read, similar methods of cleaning clothing and other materials had been around for some time before, sort of an interesting spin on it, look it up on line....

This could make for an interesting (if somewhat scarse) read:

http://www.drycleancoalition.org/download/drycleaning-historical_developments.pdf