Vintage SHORTS!

[Baron Kurtz]

I know there's a lot of (in my view unfounded) hostility here to shorts. so I thought I'd start a thread for those of us who like them and wear them. I've been gathering vintage shorts for as long as I've been into vintage. Most are military, but here I'll start with civilian versions.

Some catalogues. Thanks to Two Types for turning me on to the Kay's Catalogues.

1933

1937

Khaki Drill shorts by Anglocrat. The size label is a bit utility-ish. The numbers remind me of cheap catalogue numbers like you see in the Kay's above. Date to 30s-50s.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Poplar Brand

Lighter weight drill cotton. Poplar Brand, Government Dye Guaranteed. A bit of a state, but good for working around the place. These again date from the 30s-50s.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Fully Shrunk To …

Khaki drill, Fully Shrunk To …. Again, 30s-50s, probably towards the end of that timeframe.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Bukta, Rigmel Shrunk

Made by the famous Bukta brand. These are much longer in the leg than the others, and come with a belt that feeds through the waistband.

Bukta camping catalogue from 1960:

Bukta Sportwear All British Product, Rigmel Shrunk BOA (?)

 

[Two Types]

Thanks to Two Types for turning me on to the Kay's Catalogues.

Actually the thanks should be to HBK, he was the one who showed it to me!

PS> I think there's a good pair of British shorts on Ebay at the moment. Have a look.

 

[herringbonekid]

i like the fabric of your first pair Baron. just the sort of vintage drill i'm always looking out for.
here's a French deadstock pair in a Donegal tweed type fabric, fully lined in that nice non-satiny stuff you see in old suit trouser waistbands (and sometimes sleeves):

(these are a 28 waist and for sale. they have never been worn but have some storage dirt along folds. PM me if interested)

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The Fred Perry ones?

PS> I think there's a good pair of British shorts on Ebay at the moment. Have a look.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

whew, 28! Maybe a few years ago, mate.

(these are a 28 waist and for sale. they have never been worn but have some storage dirt along folds. PM me if interested)

 

[Two Types]

The Fred Perry ones?

I think so (I stumbled across them, but I'd had a couple of drinks and can't remember the details)

 

[Spearpoint]

Khaki drill, Fully Shrunk To …. Again, 30s-50s, probably towards the end of that timeframe.

High waist, with liberal use of darts and the patch pockets are special.

I remember wearing something like these as a young boy and the pocket would have small holes with time and coins would fall off.

As coins would be the only currency I would have, one such accident would leave me broke for the next few days. Good ol' days.

Coins would have value in those days and cents would be capable of funding a lunch.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

OK, this is "BDA" - the Bradford Dyer's Association, who held the Rigmel shrinking process patent.

 

[David Conwill]

Great thread. I certainly have no beef with shorts. I couldn't go the summer without them.

 

[Metatron]

Good thread and ideal for the current weather.

Some 'obscene' shorts looks from the film 'Black Narcissus' (1947) which are driving the nuns bonkers.













I like the improvised 'bandana belt' or whatever it might be, plus the shirt with the cut off sleeves.
Just goes to show that the 1940s wasn't all stuffy propriety.

 

[Tomasso]

I want another pair of those Bukta shorts. Years ago I happened upon a NOS vintage pair and proceeded to wear them to death before pitching them. Should have saved them for a copyist.

 

[dhermann1]

Baron: Those various khaki shorts remind me so much of the desperately scrawny, desperately pale, British tourists I used to see here in the US back in the 50s. The men all wore those shorts, white shirts with the sleeves rolled up, with street shoes and black anklet socks. Charmingly frumpy. They were probably all veterans of North Africa.
Brits all look so much healthier now. It's of course a good thing. But I loved seeing those old style "British cousins" back in the old days.

 

[dhermann1]

And boy, do I want those woollen plus sixes inthe first or second ad!

 

[Metatron]

Baron: Those various khaki shorts remind me so much of the desperately scrawny, desperately pale, British tourists I used to see here in the US back in the 50s. The men all wore those shorts, white shirts with the sleeves rolled up, with street shoes and black anklet socks. Charmingly frumpy. They were probably all veterans of North Africa.
Brits all look so much healthier now. It's of course a good thing. But I loved seeing those old style "British cousins" back in the old days.

Sounds like a good look, haha.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Vintage Shorts Shots, Not for the Weak!

Here are two really vintage shorts photos. The guy on the beach is my father, serving in the USAAF in Hawaii in WWII.



This is me, roughly in 1958. I remember being stung by a bee on the back of the leg, which put an end to wearing shorts.

 

[esteban68]

You can still sometimes vintage style canvas shorts on ebay etc look under canvas rugby shorts they are rubber button fly and well made, I used to have a black and a white pair when I played union back in 2001 before I retired due to injury, in fact I 've only just taken them to the charity shop a month or two ago as I was never going to get back in a 32" waist!......a white pair could easily be dyed.

 

[Two Types]

These ones (or a similar pair from his time in Egypt in the late 1940s) still went on family holidays with my Dad until the 1970s.